The Unknown Cursed Ones
by SweetAmberkins
Summary: Harry Potter was not the only baby marked by Voldemort. After 15 years, light has been shed on a terrifying truth that befell two young girls, their lives forever intertwined with that of Draco Malfoy. UNDERGOING REWRITE!
1. Prologue::Backstory

The Genesse family originated from generations of purebloods wizards. Although evidence of whom their pureblood traits come from no longer exists, they are believed to be related to many great wizards of our time. They have been linked to notorious Death Eaters, although they have never been Death Eaters themselves. They are members of the Order, and have never been exposed as to protect their identity. There are only two members of the Genesse line left, left only by a twitch of fate…Aurora and Amera.

Aurora is a powerful witch that still remains in the Order. She kept ties with the Malfoy family, Death Eaters of fame, only to get information that no other member in the Order would get. She has been honored as one of the greatest witches of the new wizarding world, although not many would say so by looking at her. Powerful gifts from her past generations have been brought out in her, and also their good looks. She has proudly passed these onto Amera, and hopes she has inherited one of her father's most interesting and fun gifts, although it has not yet presented itself, but it was supposed to be noticeable from her birth.

Amera has inherited millions of galleons from her grandparents; although it will be in a trust until she is of age, wizarding age that is. She has inherited power, an honorable name, money and magical gifts beyond compare.

Tashia is the only child left of the long wizarding line of Truevale. Her parents were killed mercilessly by the hands of Death Eaters, so she never knew them. She was less than ten months old when she was given to Aurora Genesse, who was to care for her as a dying wish to Tashia's parents. She too inherited many galleons from her parents, also to wait until she was of wizarding age. She lives with Amera and Aurora, and after she is of age she will no longer fall into the protection of Aurora Genesse.

Looks

Amera

Hair: Blonde, long, straight

Eyes: blue

Height: 5"8" (1.78m)

Personality: Bubbly, smart, observant, sharp, mystical, caring, friendly, responsible, no-nonsense girl.

Blood: Pure

Previous school/Achievements: Frozbergen. Straight O's in OWLs. Quidditch team seeker.

Birthday: 29th September

Tashia

Hair: Dark brown, long, wavy

Eyes: Green-hazel

Height: 5"5" (1.7m)

Personality: Bubbly, clumsy, smart, observant, sympathetic, comedic, friendly, responsible, no-nonsense girl.

Blood: Pure

Previous school/Achievements: Frozbergen. Straight O's in OWLs.

Birthday: 27th October

Tashia Truevale, Amera and Aurora Genesse are my own names. Please do not use them without my permission, because they are trademark to ME!

Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Severus Snape, Voldemort, and any other similarities to the book are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling.


	2. Fate::Night

After a mere infant called Harry Potter supposedly defeated the Dark Lord, his Death Eaters were on a rampage. Everyone and anyone who knew their status with the Dark Lord were recruited, or worse, killed. This was the case for many a wizarding families, and many went underground to hide their status with the Order of the Phoenix. Many people knew of the lighting shaped scar on the forehead of Harry Potter, but there were many unknown to the wizarding world other than him. Two families shared the same fate by the same hand, and their children, along with Harry Potter, unknowingly lived intertwined lives since that day. The Genesse and Truevale families shared very similar fate, except for one small fact. When the Death Eaters invaded the Genesse house, they thought that only a father was there, and killed him, but the child's mother was away, doing a job overseas. Needless to say they killed the child's father, but they didn't do anything to the child, except for her mark.

"Let's take a leaf out of the Dark Lord's book. Do him honor!" a cold voice said form underneath a black hood.

A wand was aimed directly at the baby's shoulder blade, and the baby cried, the pain was too much for such a small child. A grey colour ran down from her shoulder blade, down her back and spread out like a burst firework. It settled all the way from her shoulder blade to her hips. It was permanent, and never to been seen by anyone other than her mother and closest friend. The Death Eaters left, leaving the tiny baby alone in her cot. No one was there to care for her, and she cried. She must've been crying for hours, but then there was a pop noise, which startled the little girl into temporary silence. An old grey man, with light blue eyes and a kind face, walked up to her crib. There was a woman behind him, fairly young with her hair in a tight bun, holding another child.

"These poor children, Albus. Living a parentless life is no life for a child, they're even younger than Potter." the witch shook her head, and cradled the baby she was holding tighter to her chest.

"It will undoubtedly make them stronger in the end, Minerva. But this one is not alone." The witch looked startled, thinking that everyone else that was in the house was dead.

"But Albus, her father is dead. And her mother…her mother must've perished…"

"Her mother was away by my orders. We will take her child and the Truevale's child to her now. It was the Truevale's last wish that Aurora raise their child." Dumbledore nodded and took the small child in his arms and saw the mark on her shoulder that went down her back.

"Wise beyond words, the power of the wizarding world in her veins." Dumbledore looked down into the precious blue eyes looking up at him in wonder.

"Everything will be all right Amera. You will see your mother again soon." Dumbledore looked at Minerva, and nodded his head.

"Sidelong Apparition. I'm the only one who knows where Aurora is."

Minerva gripped Albus' arm tightly and with another pop, they were gone.


	3. Spoilt::Introduction

"Draco! Get the door!" Narcissa called across their house to Draco, who was in the home theatre.

"I'll get it now, just wait for this…"

"I said NOW!" Narcissa shrieked.

Draco really didn't want to answer the door, he hardly knew the person that was standing on the other side of that door.

"Can't a house-elf get it?" Draco called back, hesitating to stand.

"THAT"S SO RUDE DRACO!" Narcissa shouted again.

Draco rolled his eyes, paused the movie he was watching and went to answer the door. His mother invited a girl over when it was actually his holiday.

"What is she going to do here anyway…?" Draco was muttering under his breath to himself.

He stepped up the door and saw the shadow from underneath the door. He turned the handle and pulled it open violently. He looked down, still angry with his mother for making him get up from his movie and held up his hand to show this girl into the house. He didn't notice her face, only her white trainers as she walked past him.

"Nice house you got here." she said, while rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Well, it makes do…" said Draco, still not looking up.

In the small moment of silence, he heard something humming. He looked up and saw the girl was listening to an mp3 player, so she wasn't even listening to him. He glared at the back of her head, and her long blonde hair and light blue top. Draco shook his head and walked right past the girl, no need for introductions, he wouldn't see her again after this anyway. He walked past her, without a backward glance. He was walking back to the home theatre when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned suddenly and almost knocked the girl over with fright. He was really sorry he didn't look at her sooner. She had soft, beautiful skin; plump lips; a petite nose and stunning light blue eyes. She was barely and inch shorter than him, and had a stunning figure in her tight jeans and V-neck top. The girl fell over and landed on the cold marble floor, her loose hair falling over her face. Instinctively Draco shot out his hand and pulled her up. Then he realized she was following him before she fell over.

"Why are you following me?" said Draco more rudely than what was necessary.

"I thought you were taking me to your mother!" she retorted.

Draco glared at her for a moment when he heard footsteps on the stairs.

"No need, here she comes." Draco put on a smile for a second when his mother appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"AH AMERA!" Narcissa flung her arms around Amera's neck and kissed her on both cheeks.

"It's so good to see you again! You've really grown up since I last saw you. Where is your sister?" said Narcissa giving her another hug.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Malfoy. I see you only get more beautiful every time I see you. Unfortunately, she had to stay at school for some important matters, but she'll be back soon." said Amera with a sweet voice, unlike the one she just used on Draco.

"Really? Thank you so much my dear! Pity our other shopper couldn't join us." Narcissa looked at Draco and said to him

"You do remember Amera, don't you Draco? You could learn a lesson from her." she said with earnest before locking into Amera's arm.

Draco stood with his mouth open, looking at Amera. He once knew her, many years ago, before she went to a foreign wizarding school when she was nine. And now she was standing in front of him, once again, grown up, but still with that sweet air about her.

"We're going shopping for Amera. You stay here and finish watching your movie." with a flick of Narcissa's long, white-blonde hair, they went down the passage and headed for the lounge with the fire place.

"Not like I wanted to come with anyway…" he thought, more to convince himself than anybody else.

Draco stomped off down the hallway again and sat down in one of the home theatre seats.

"Damn that girl got cheeky! When did she get back? She was supposed to tell me…" Draco clicked his tongue and carried on watching the movie.


	4. Hello::Goodbye

After about two movies, and halfway through a third, Draco fell asleep. After what seemed hours had passed, he heard laughing just outside the home theatre door and sat up, to see the credits rolling across the screen.

"I missed the freaking movie!" Draco grabbed the remote and went back a few chapters.

He heard the footsteps coming down the hallway, in his direction.

"We're home Draco!" Narcissa called.

"I noticed…" he said sarcastically to himself.

"If you don't mind Mrs. Malfoy, I'll just floo home."

"Oh nonsense. Your mother said you can stay the night."

"Thanks Mrs. Malfoy. I'll just take my stuff up then…"

Narcissa grabbed Amera's arm and stopped her.

"Draco! Come take Amera's shopping for her!"

"You'd swear we never had house-elves…" Draco muttered.

He got up reluctantly, and went back to the entrance hall. Without a word, he picked up Amera's shopping bags and went upstairs to the spare room. They walked down a long passage lined with paintings, till Draco stopped and turned into a room.

"Here." he put the shopping bags down on the bed and made to leave.

"You're not like this Draco…or have you changed so much since I've been gone?" said Amera in a plain voice.

Draco turned around, and wanted to say something nasty back, but he saw Amera had a weird look on her face, one he couldn't understand. She ran her hand over the duvet before she sat down.

"I have changed Amera. I grew up." said Draco, not entirely sure how it came across.

"Grew up…interesting." she said again plainly.

Draco didn't understand how she was acting. Maybe it was that foreign school she went to, teaching her how not to be herself.

"Dinner's at half past seven." he said shortly and stepped out the room.

Draco stood outside the door for a while, Amera gave him the worst chills, but he wasn't sure what it was from. He shook his head again and went to his room. No use watching any more movies, he would be interrupted again. He lay down on his green duvet, with his head buried in his pillow. Why did Amera have to come back now, just when he was getting on with his life? She pretended to be so friendly, she was so pretty and yet, also harsh when she wanted to be. Luckily the cool satin if his green pillow was soothing, a little too soothing, as he soon feel asleep again. After what seemed again like hours, someone came and woke him.

"Draco, it's time for dinner." his mother's voice came across his ears softly.

Draco lifted his head and looked at the clock, which showed a glowing red 19:26.

"I'll be down in a second. Let me just change my shirt."

He heard the door click close and sat up on his bed. He ran his fingers roughly through his hair and went to his walk-through-wardrobe for a shirt. Right on top of his shirts was a new shirt, with a slogan printed on it in graffiti.

"What is this?"

He pulled out the shirt and unfolded it, the slogan said: _Slytherin Prince._

"Mum wouldn't buy me this…" he thought, but it was green so he just put it on.

He went down stairs, and went to the daily dining hall. Only his mother and Amera were sitting there, with two empty seats left.

"Where's Mr. Malfoy?" Amera asked Narcissa before Draco sat down next to his mother.

"He owled earlier saying he had some important business to attend to in London. He'll only be back in a few days time."

Draco smiled, what a good cover-up story. Amera probably didn't hear the news wherever she was that Lucius was in Azkaban. Amera gave a heavy sigh and looked at Narcissa.

"I always seem to just miss Mr. Malfoy. Funny isn't it?" said Amera.

"Important business my dear, you'll see him again one day."

Amera nodded and then there was silence again. Draco thought to himself, his mother knew immediately that this girl was Amera when she saw her, but yet Draco had never seen a picture of her since she was nine.

"I see you're wearing the shirt I bought you." said Narcissa.

Draco was taking a sip of pumpkin juice when she said this, and nearly choked on a mouthful.

"You bought me this?" he said quickly between breaths of air.

"Yes, with a little help from my assistant shopper…" Narcissa smiled.

Amera gave a small bow with half a giggle, knowing why Draco had been so shocked.

"I insisted on it, seen as though it's so accurate…Your mother said you're a Slytherin…whatever that is…" she said with a cheeky smile.

Draco half laughed at himself, seeing that his new shirt was full of pumpkin juice.

"You messy child…" Narcissa took her wand out and gave it a flick, which cleaned up the pumpkin juice.

It wasn't long after that when dinner popped onto the table. Nothing was said during dinner, as it always was so in the Malfoy house. When dinner was done, Narcissa bade them farewell to go to her bedroom. Draco and Amera sat across from each other, looking at anything but each other.

"I was watching a movie when you two came home." said Draco abruptly.

Amera looked at him suddenly, and then Draco looked at her then away again.

"I was gonna watch it again now. You're welcome to join me if you want." Draco was surprised that he could so friendly, even after she was horrible to him.

"Sure, haven't got anything else to do."

And so they went to the home theatre. Draco put in the movie again and pressed play. There were three rows of seats, Draco was in the front and Amera was in the middle row. The back row consisted of two three-seater couches and the other rows were single chairs.

"Ready?" Draco asked.

"Press the button already!" said Amera jokingly.

The movie had barely started when Draco realised he didn't really like this movie, that's why he fell asleep.

"You haven't spoken in ages…talk about something…" Draco thought to himself.

Draco turned in his seat to look at Amera sitting behind him. They were already over the tiff that happened this afternoon, and no grudges were held. Amera was watching the movie intently, but the second she saw Draco staring at her, she stopped watching.

"Anything you wanted to ask?" said Amera, looking down at Draco in the front row.

"I don't really like this movie…do you?"

"Actually, I've seen it about seven times. I'm really sick of it."

Draco nodded, and turned more in his seat to look at Amera.

"So…uhm…when did you get back?"

"Only about a week ago. I decided its way to far to stay away from my mom. But I did have holidays every now and again, I'm sorry I didn't come to see you."

Draco nodded, and listened to every word she said, but somehow he was still angry with her.

"Something wrong Draco? You look a little…off." Amera asked.

Draco straightened his face instantly, and tried to forget why he was angry at Amera.

"So where did you go?" he asked again.

"Went to a school in Greenland. It was cold, but I must admit that it was amazing. I'll miss it …" Amera sighed with the last note.

"Which school did you go to?"

"Frozbergen Academy of Enchantment. It was beautiful; it was an upside down castle underneath a glacier. No place like it."

Draco had no idea what it was like to like a school so much, so he said nothing.

"And you're not going there anymore?"

"No, it's way too far from home. Going to Hogwarts this year"

"You're going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes…"

"Cool…"

"You know of it?" asked Amera

"Sure. Everyone knows about Hogwarts." Draco lied.

They spoke other things for about another hour, while the movie was still playing. When it ended, they went up stairs to bed. As they were walking up the stairs, Draco said something to Amera.

"Can I be totally honest with you?" Draco asked.

"Sure…"

"When I first saw you this morning, I had no idea who you were, I thought you were another spoilt brat, but really, you didn't turn out that bad."

"Well thanks Draco…" Amera replied, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult.

"Well goodnight, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Draco." Amera smiled and closed her door behind her.

"Pst…"

"What…"

"Psst…"

"WHAT?" Draco sat up suddenly in his bed and saw Amera standing next to his bed, fully dressed, while he was only in his boxers.

"Oh uhm… I did knock; I swear" Amera turned around suddenly.

Draco went to his wardrobe and took out a shirt, pulling it over his head. He looked at the clock, which glowed 08:54.

"What is it that couldn't wait just an hour?" he yawned.

"I'm flooing home now, I thought I told you last night…"

Draco had totally forgotten that Amera was going home right now.

"Aww damn I forgot! As in now?"

"As in now …" Amera held up her many bags of shopping and bobbed them up and down.

"Let me just get dressed, I'll be there in a second."

Draco went back to his wardrobe and pulled on a pair of jeans over his boxers. He ran down stairs, to find Amera standing in front of the fireplace with Narcissa standing next to her with a handful of Floo powder.

"Just in time Draco…" said Narcissa.

Draco didn't really know what to do now that he was saying goodbye to Amera once again.

"Well I'll see you again I guess…"

"For sure…" Amera smiled.

Narcissa threw the handful of fire into the grate and there was a flash of green flames. Amera stood in them and said:

"5 Privet drive, Surrey." and in a flash she was gone.

Narcissa looked at Draco, who still stood looking lost in the middle of the room.

"She's coming again next week so we can go shopping for her sister." Narcissa answered his unasked question.

"I didn't say anything. I'm going back to bed."

Draco stomped back up stairs, and flopped down onto his bed. He frowned and pulled his satin duvet over his head, trying not to think that he didn't even say goodbye properly. For once, someone back chatted him, he didn't mind, then in the end of the day everything was fine, a rekindled friendship.


	5. Exams::Shopping

Amera landed hard on a tawny beige carpet, covered in ash and soot.

"MOM! I'm home!" Amera called as she got up and dusted herself off.

"Ah! You're home! Good news, Tashia owled last night saying she's coming home today. She said there was a complication with her Demonology exam." said Aurora as she walked out the kitchen.

"Thought I'd make some treacle tart, invite Harry over so we can welcome her back."

Amera smelled the sweet air and the cooking treacle tart.

"What do you think the problem is?" Amera asked as she placed the many bags of shopping on the couch.

"I don't know. Don't you also take Demonology?" Aurora asked Amera.

"Yeah, but I still don't know what the problem is. Hope it wasn't a reset paper…"

"I hope for her sake too. Take all that shopping upstairs and unpack. Tashia is going to be home soon. Take my wand to let Harry out of those burglar bars."

Amera picked up all the shopping again, stuck her mom's wand behind her ear, and took it all upstairs. She put it all the bags on her bed, and divided it in half.

"I hope Tashia likes the stuff that Mrs Malfoy got her…" she looked into the bags with Tashia's stuff and sighed.

"If she doesn't like that top I'll have it…" Amera thought to herself.

"Better go call Harry…" Amera opened her bedroom window and walked across the roof that went over their and the Dursley's garden wall. The roof ran from under Amera's window and stopped just under Harry's bedroom window, and luckily Harry was always in his room. Amera tapped on the window, and she heard Hedwig screech inside. Harry stood in front of the window, looking up at her standing on the roof. He opened the window and spoke through the bars.

"Where were you yesterday? We were supposed to…"

"I know Harry. I went to go visit one of my mom's friends and she insisted I stay the night. I promise I'll show you the star trick I learnt at school."

Harry nodded absent mindedly, then looked back up at Amera.

"You're not supposed to be on the roof in the day…"

"This is a special occasion. Tash is coming home just now, and mom made your favourite…"

"Treacle tart?"

"Yep. So get a move on…" Amera looked around the neighbourhood for anyone, then took her mom's wand out of from behind her ear tapped the burglar bars.

Amera held out her hand and pulled Harry through the burglar bars and onto the roof with her. They ran across the roof and jumped through Amera's open window.

"Why is she only coming home today? Your school has been out for a week already." said Harry landing on the carpet.

"Yeah, it was something with her exam, but she'll tell us soon."

Harry saw all the stuff on Amera's bed, and wondered where it all came from. Harry looked around coyly, making as if he was interested in something else, while he was inching towards the bags.

"Where's your owl? I haven't seen him in days…" Harry asked, looking at the interlacing braches lodged in the corner of Amera's room, while edging towards the bags in the opposite direction.

"I haven't seen him either. Think he went really far away. Hope he didn't find another home…"

Amera saw Harry was heading for the bags, and jumped in front of him

"Nah uh! You will have to wait to see these clothes…"

"But its still forever until we go to school…"

"Then until we go to Diagon Alley. I'm not allowed to wear this stuff in Muggle world."

Harry laughed, he always did when Amera said "Muggle World", it sounded really weird because of the way she said it.

"Ok, until Diagon Alley then…"

But before they could say anything else, there was a thump downstairs.

"I'M HOME!" someone shouted from downstairs.

"TASH!" Amera shouted inside her room and ran out her room and down the stairs.

Harry followed the path downstairs, just at a slower pace. When he eventually got to the fireplace, Tashia and Amera were hugging each other, squealing excitedly. Tashia pulled away from Amera and sprung onto Harry, hugging him until he swore his ribs cracked.

"Hi Tash…how was your year?"

Tashia smiled, showing her model white teeth. She was a little shorter than Harry and Amera both, as they were the same height, but Tashia was just as pretty as Amera, just with hazel eyes and dark brown hair. Amera and Tashia both were wearing V- neck tops, except Tashia's was black and Amera's light blue.

"Fantastic! I got an O on my OWLs in Demonology. There was an enquiry because they thought there was a mistake, but they passed me! Now I know at least that I got one OWL." Tashia jumped up and down, squealing excitedly.

"OK you can stop acting so girly now…" said Amera slapping Tashia hard on the back.

Tashia almost choked from the thump, but stopped laughing so girly.

"Yeah you're right. Do I smell a little something for me?" Tashia smelled the air and smiled again.

"But only after lunch…" called Aurora as she came out of the kitchen again.

"Auntie Aurora! I missed you so much…" Tashia jumped again, hugging Aurora in a bone-crushing hug.

"Good to see you again…" Aurora loosened Tashia's grip on her ribs.

"I did bake you a little something, but first I think we need to go see what Amera brought you."

Tashia had a wild grin on her face and bounded upstairs, faster than any of them.

"I think she was eating way too many Fizzing Whizzbees at the Ministry…" Amera shook her head and followed Tashia upstairs.

"At the Ministry? Our ministry?" Harry asked as he and Amera walked up the stairs.

"Oh my…we don't tell you that much do we?" Amera asked, Harry shook his head before the question was even finished.

"We floo from Frozbergen to the Ministry to here. They must check our foreign wizarding passports or we can't floo home. Sometimes when we wait, we get candy."

Harry nodded; he was learning something new about magic everyday. Tashia was already in Amera's room, rummaging through all the bags.

"Ooh! Which side is mine? Please tell me it's the left!

Amera shook her head, and nodded. Tashia carried on looking through the bags, throwing out everything she didn't want.

"Ugh! Green! Don't like it…" she narrated as she threw stuff out of her bags.

Harry and Amera stood at the doorway and just watched all the clothes flying out the bags.

"GEE! How much did you buy?" said Tashia as she carried on through the bags.

"Well, we bought a lot of stuff, pretty much everything I like."

"Everything YOU like! We're going shopping again next week."

"Well we are anyway…"

"YES! Victory for me!" Tashia punched the air and took the remaining bags with her.

"If you want those, or change the colours, just tell me, because I still don't get Partial Transfiguration." Tashia walked past them as they made way for her.

"I'll come show you my outfits now…" said Tashia, closing her bedroom door right across the hallway.

"Okaaaaay…" said Amera, frowning slightly.

Harry looked just as bewildered. They stepped into Amera's bedroom and Amera shoved all the stuff off her bed and onto the floor, then sat on her bed.

"Well aren't you a neat child…" said Harry mockingly.

"Don't talk Mr Potter, I've seen your room, and it's not much better than mine."

Harry shrugged his shoulders guiltily, and sat with Amera on her bed.

"So…"

"SO…"

Amera looked like she wanted to say something to Harry, but she stopped herself from saying it.

"What do you want to say?" Harry asked her.

"Uhm…"

"Just say it…"

"I'm so sorry Harry…about…about Sirius."

Harry felt a lump in his throat, the one time that he didn't expect to be questioned about it, and it was brought up.

"It's ok."

Amera leant across her bed and pulled him into a hug, holding him protectively. They hadn't really known each other many years, she had only lived there since she started school when she was nine, and saw him every other holiday, but they got to know each other very well over the last couple of years. They didn't speak for a while until Amera spoke again.

"My mom knew Sirius. She knew him really well. When she heard, she almost broke down. She was the one who told me everything."

Amera was still hugging Harry, and he couldn't help but think about the last time he saw Sirius. Falling through the stone archway, through the curtain, just falling so slowly, then he was gone. Amera let go of Harry slowly, and Harry sat back.

"Your mom knew Sirius?"

"Yep, same house and year. Practically playing pranks all the time. Can you imagine my mother playing pranks on people?"

Harry laughed lightly. He remembered seeing Sirius in the Pensieve when he was having Occulmency lessons with Snape; he was a real a troublemaker. He never saw someone that looked like Aurora, but he wasn't really looking for her, he was looking for someone that looked like his parents.

"My mom always knew that Sirius was an innocent man, but she's so sad that the only way he could be proven innocent was…" Then Amera's voice trailed off.

Harry knew what she wanted to say next, and that's probably why she stopped.

"How about a game of exploding snap?" Amera suggested quickly.

"Sure. Gotta wait like three hours for lunch anyway."

Amera went to her cupboard and got a pack of exploding cards and threw them on the bed before walking back. They sat on the bed and played for something close to three hours, until Tashia came out with a weird black and red top with jeans. They looked up from their cards and at Tashia instead.

"Looks good, don't you think?"

"Looks excellent."

A voice came up the stairs, shouting for lunch.

"Yes! I'm starving!" said Harry.

"Sure looks like it!" said Amera, poking him in the ribs.


	6. Sirius::Harry

They went downstairs, and the table was set with everything from baked potatoes to the treacle tart.

"This looks like a mini Hogwarts feast!" said Harry.

"Well the girls must know what is in store for them at Hogwarts…" said Aurora with a smile.

"Frozbergen was the same! You just don't know…" Amera started

"Because we haven't been…" Harry and Aurora said simultaneously.

Amera and Tashia frowned and tucked into the lunch, and not long after into the dessert as well.

When lunch was done, they all sat at the table talking about their past school year, except for Harry. Harry just listened about this amazing school that was an upside down castle underneath a glacier, with ice and snow all year round.

"Harry, why so quiet?" Aurora asked him.

Harry looked up suddenly to see three faces looking at him with concern.

"Is it about…Sirius?" Aurora asked.

Harry got a knot in his stomach, and his lungs tightened. He just nodded. After hearing that Aurora knew Sirius as well, all Harry could see was Aurora and Sirius, playing pranks on poor first years.

"I know he was your godfather, Harry. He told me as soon as you were born. All of us who knew him, will always keep him alive in memories."

Harry knew that in a way it was true, but he just missed having someone there for him, like his father and best friend.

"We used to do a lot together, Sirius and me. He was almost like a big brother to me. One time, in sixth year, we decided to do a little something with the Whomping Willow. Sirius had put an Entanglement charm on the braches and let me sit on them. I still have a photo of us by the tree…"

Just then a yellow and gold photo album came flying towards the table, and landed right in front of Aurora. She flipped a few pages, and then took out a large photograph.

"We got Remus to take this photo. James was in detention yet again. Where's my wand, Amera?"

Amera handed her mom the wand and then Aurora tapped the photo, then another photo popped in midair and floated down in front of Harry.

"You can have it Harry. It was good times we had back there." Aurora sighed and stood up.

Harry looked at the copy of the photo he had just got. It was no doubt Sirius standing in front of the tree, holding his wand up and smiling proudly. A girl that looked just like Amera was waving from the top of the branches that were knotted.

"I think you should get next door Harry, isn't Dumbledore coming tonight?" Aurora asked.

Harry nodded his head, he remembered that tonight was the night that Dumbledore would come fetch him and take him to The Burrow.

"Uhm…yeah…" Harry had absolutely no idea why he had to leave so early.

"And is your trunk packed yet?" Aurora asked again.

Harry hadn't yet packed his trunk, because he wasn't sure that Dumbledore would even make it there.

"How did you know Dumbledore…"

"He owled me this morning, told you me to tell you to pack your trunk. He will definitely be here."

"Uhm sure…"

Amera, Harry and Tashia stood up from the table, and went upstairs, Amera had Aurora's wand again.

"Bye Harry. See you at school; don't miss me too much now…" said Tashia giving Harry a hug.

"See you at school." said Harry.

Amera had already climbed onto the roof and was waiting for Harry just outside her window. She held out a hand and pulled him out her window and onto the roof. They walked across the tiles to Harry's window, where Amera tapped the bars and climbed through the window after Harry. Harry helped her down, by holding her by her waist and holding her steady while she leapt off the roof onto his floor.

"Thanks Harry." said Amera, while looking around the room.

"No problem." said Harry with a little heat flushed across his cheeks

"And you said I was bad…" said Amera with a shocked look on her face, looking at his room.

"Well I'm not always here, am I?"

"Even more reason for it to be neat. You've only been here about two weeks, and look at it already." Amera almost laughed at him.

"Well, why did you come in?" asked Harry.

"Thought I'd help you pack. I'm not that good with household chores, but with a wand I'm pretty decent."

Amera held up her mother's wand to Hedwig's filthy cage, and said "_Scourgify_!" and it was clean.

"Wands make everything easier." Amera smiled.

Harry knew this better than anyone. He was the leader of the DA, and he was at the Ministry, fighting Death Eaters for the prophecy.

"You know Dumbledore well, Harry?" Amera asked suddenly, halfway through a charm to fold Harry's scattered clothes.

"Err…sure. Why?"

"I just wanted to know…" said Amera quickly.

Amera waved the wand again, and Harry's trunk slammed shut.

"I think my work here is done." said Amera again in a mock-dignified voice.

Amera went to the window, getting ready to tap the bars. But before she did she turned around and hugged Harry, who was standing right by the window.

"I'll miss you Harry. Owl me every now and again, ok?"

Harry wrapped his arms around Amera's waist and hugged her back.

"I'll only be gone for a few weeks. I promise you'll see me at school. You'll probably be a Gryffindor."

Amera leant back with a confused look on her face.

"What's a Gryffindor?"

"Oh never mind." said Harry hugging her again and holding her tightly.

"Bye Harry."

Amera kissed him softly on the cheek, and tapped the bars of the window.

"See you in school…" she pulled herself up by the edge of the window frame and walked back across the roof.

Harry leant out the still charmed burglar bars, watching her climb back into her window. Harry pulled his head back, not sure when the charm would wear off the bars. He turned back to his room and looked how much Amera had cleaned it up.

"Can't wait until we're back at Hogwarts…" Harry thought, pulling his trunk up onto his bed.


	7. Letters::Flooing

"Oh my Merlin! You didn't tell me! Unfair! What's he look like?" Tashia instantly bombarded Amera the second she climbed back through her window.

"What in the world are you talking about? Amera asked.

"You must've seen him? Draco must've grown up to be well…" Tashia almost instantly went red.

"Yeah I saw him. But what's your point?" Amera tried to avoid it, but she knew that Tashia knew she wasn't that stupid.

"You know what I mean! Is he anything worth looking at?"

"Well…I think he grew up decently, but there are better looking guys."

"Oh I know that tactic! He's gorgeous isn't he?"

Amera just smiled, and went slightly red in the cheeks.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"I'm sure you did…" Amera smiled.

"So we're going shopping on Monday again? You think he'll come with?" Tashia asked.

"Gee, I don't know. He didn't come with us last time."

"But he must! He has to!" Tashia fumed.

"Calm down!" Amera half-shouted at her.

Tashia frowned and looked at the pile of clothes lying on Amera's floor.

"How come you got so much clothes?"

"Cause I picked them. And besides, I'm not going to buy you something you don't like. That's why we're going shopping again."

"Ok ok. I hear what you're saying. I'll just go try on the rest of my clothes." Tashia left to go back to her room.

"Ok, you do that." Amera sat down on her bed for less than a split second, when an owl flew in her window and landed on her bed. Amera looked at the owl, which was snapping for her to the letters off its leg. Amera quickly untied the two letters and the owl flew off again. One was addressed to her, the other to Tashia. Amera's letter was very peculiarly addressed:

_Amera Genesse_

_The first room on the right_

_Upstairs_

_5 Privet drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

Tashia's was the same, just for the room change:

_Tashia Truevale_

_The first room on the left_

_Upstairs_

_5 Privet drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

These were very strange letters. Amera opened her letter, and read the fine slanted writing:

_You have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_Your previous school, Frozbergen Academy of Enchantment, has already sent through your credentials and we are sure you will enjoy yourself here. Once your OWL results have been sent to you, and us, you will receive a book list for all the possible subjects you wish to take._

_Yours truly,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Amera's mouth fell open. Dumbledore himself wrote her a letter saying that she was accepted. Amera jumped up and ran across the hallway to Tashia's room. She banged on the door, and Tashia opened up her door, only with an orange top on. Amera held one closed envelope, and waving the open one wildly.

"Dumbledore! He sent us letters! In his own handwriting!"

There was a pop behind Amera and Aurora was standing behind her, looking at the letters.

"Got your letters at last! So anything exceptional?" Aurora asked.

Tashia grabbed her letter, and tore it open. She read it very quickly, and her mouth fell open.

"It's really happening…"

"We're going to Hogwarts!" Amera shouted and hugged Tashia while jumping up and down.

The Monday after receiving their Hogwarts letters, Amera and Tashia were getting ready to go to Narcissa's house. Harry had left for The Burrow close to midnight on Friday night, and Amera and Tashia had other things to do as well. It was 10 o' clock already, and they were running really late.

"Don't wear high heels Tashia! We'll be walking around in Diagon Alley all day!"

"But I'm shorter than you!"

"Just put on your trainers!" Amera shouted from downstairs, waiting for Tashia to hurry up.

Tashia ran down the stairs, straight into the lounge with the fireplace.

"Come on now! Hurry up!" Tashia shouted at Amera.

"I was waiting for you!"

"Don't you two start now!" Aurora shouted.

Amera and Tashia glared at each other, and took a handful of Floo powder.

"Is Narcissa sure that we're coming by the Floo network?" Amera asked.

"Yes she is. Now just get going."

Amera stood in the fireplace first, and said:

"Malfoy Mansion" then she was gone in a blaze of green flames.

When Amera hit the floor, she realised she had landed somewhere near the dining room. She looked up and saw she was in front of the fireplace by the guest lounge. She hoisted herself up, and dusted herself off. She looked around, and then she saw the long dining table. Now she knew where she was.

"Mrs Malfoy! We're here!"

There was no noise anywhere in the house. Tashia came shooting out the fireplace covered in soot.

"I can't wait till I can legally Apparate." said Tashia dusting herself off and standing up.

"Where is Mrs Malfoy?" Tashia asked looking around.

"Don't know. Didn't see her when I came …"

Then there was a noise upstairs. Tashia and Amera looked up at the ceiling and followed the noise. They heard footsteps, coming down the stairs.

"Is that maybe her?" Tashia asked.

"Don't know…"

But their question was soon answered when the saw someone walk in the door. Blonde hair shining in the light from the chandeliers, he turned to face them.

"I thought I heard your voice…" said Draco as he walked up to the pair of them.

"Hi Draco." Amera smiled.

Draco looked at Tashia.

"Tashia?"

Tashia nodded with a smile and small red spots on her cheeks. She hugged him shortly, then stepped back and smiled. Draco turned to Tashia, who was fairly short compared to Amera.

"Not gonna bite my head off are you?" Draco asked.

"No, why would I?" Tashia asked.

"Just thought that maybe you'd take after your adopted sister here."

Tashia turned to Amera and pouted. Amera smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Where's your mom, Draco?" Amera asked quickly

"Think she's still getting ready …aren't you getting hot in those polo necks?" Draco asked.

Amera and Tashia turned to each other, hoping either one would come up with a good lie.

"It's a new charm. Keeps you cool just as you would if you were walking around topless." said Amera quickly.

"Why wouldn't you rather walk around topless?" Draco smiled.

"I'm sure you'd like that wouldn't you?" Amera chirped back.

Draco and Amera stood smiling at each other for a while, then heard his mother.

"They're here, mom!" Draco shouted, and heard his mother run down the stairs.

"TASHIA! Such a long time!" She swept down and kissed Tashia on both cheeks.

"Mrs Malfoy. Good to see you again." Tashia smiled and hugged her.

"Hope you girls are ready for some serious shopping? Draco, you're ready too?"

Tashia beamed when she heard that Draco was coming with.

"Sure mom."

They all got ready to step into the fireplace at once. Narcissa took a large handful of Floo powder and said:

"The Leaky Cauldron." Then all four of them were gone in a green flame.

Draco, Amera and Tashia and slid out onto a cold stone floor, choking on dust from the old fireplace. Mrs Malfoy came out of the fireplace standing, smiling down at them.

"Haven't Flooed enough yet…" she said smiling down at them.

They smiled back and got up off the floor, then walked into the small courtyard. Mrs Malfoy tapped a few bricks in sequence and a stone archway opened up. They stepped into Diagon Alley, which was covered in large purple posters. Every window had a purple poster stuck up in the window, showing some Shielding spells and Side-long Apparition.

"This is simply ridiculous!" said Narcissa with an upturned nose.

"What are all these posters for?" Amera asked.

"The ministry believes that You-Know-Who has returned." Draco answered.

Amera swallowed hard, and so did Tashia.

"Oh…"

After that they split and went to different shops, with a handful of Narcissa's money.


	8. Inheritance::Hogwarts

Amera and Tashia Flooed home from Narcissa's house, they didn't feel like staying the night, much to Draco's dismay.

"You stayed last time, it wasn't that bad…"

"I know, I just need some decent sleep tonight…but we're coming again on the 31st of August for school shopping."

They left Draco standing in the guest lounge with a sad look on his face. The few remaining weeks of holiday just flew past in a blur, and before they knew it, it was the 31st of August and they had to go school shopping.

"Got your shopping lists?" Aurora asked.

"Yes mom…"

"And your NEWT book lists?"

"Yes auntie Aurora." said Tashia with a loud sigh.

"Just checking. Now off to Narcissa's before you're late again.

Tashia and Amera Flooed to Narcissa's and after that they had bought even more clothes, books, cauldrons, ingredients, books, robes, and even a new broom and trunk each.

After Flooing back home again, Amera and Tashia showed Aurora their new clothes and everything else.

"That was awfully nice of Narcissa to buy you new brooms."

"Mum, how come Narcissa buys us so much stuff, but you never allow us to spend anything?"

"She always offers Amera. And all I have to do is oblige. You know that we have enough money…"

"I know mom, I was just wondering."

Aurora jinxed their trunks so all of their things could fit into them.

"Tomorrow it's to Hogwarts for the both of you. Want anything special to eat tonight?"

Tashia and Amera both shook their heads.

"Come now don't be nervous, it's just another school."

"But we liked Frozbergen…"

"Can't we go back there?" Tashia asked hopefully.

"No. This is just new school jitters. You were so excited and few weeks ago. Besides I want you two home for Christmas for a change."

Tashia and Amera sighed. They slammed their trunks shut, and put them at the bottom of the staircase.

"I think we'll just go to bed mom…"

"See you in the morning auntie Aurora…"

Tashia and Amera went up to their respective rooms, and crawled in. Tomorrow was another school, and new robes and uniforms. Fantastic!

"Wake up! We're gonna be late!" a really loud voice and a shake woke Amera up.

"What…"

"Wake up!"

Amera opened her eyes and looked up at Tashia, already holding up the clothes that Amera had laid out the previous day.

"What are you…"

"We're gonna miss the train! GET DRESSED!" Tashia shouted and threw Amera's clothes at her.

Amera got up, and got dressed quickly. She looked around for anything she might've missed, grabbed the black handbag that had her money and jewellery in it, and ran downstairs. Tashia was already dragging the last trunk out the door towards the car. Aurora was running around like a chicken without a head, looking for anything else she might've missed.

"I think that's all. I'll owl you anything else that is missing." Aurora grabbed the car keys of the table and ran for the door.

"Come Amera! We've only got two hours to get to King's Cross!"

Amera darted towards the door, locked it and jumped in the car. They sped off to King's Cross, and got there twenty minutes before eleven. They got two trolleys from the station, and put their trunks on them and followed Aurora through the crowd.

"Only fifteen minutes. Hurry!" said Aurora quickening her pace.

Tashia and Amera pushed their heavy trolleys after Aurora, until they came face to face with a wall.

"What now?" Tashia asked.

"Run through the wall, Amera then Tashia. I'll come after you."

Tashia and Amera looked at each other, and then ran. Tashia was close on Amera's heels, then they ere both surrounded in darkness. Amera heard Tashia swear of some sort, and then they were back on a platform. Amera looked around, but instead of the white bullet trains that usually lined the station, there was an old red steam train. A gold emblem on the front of the train said _Hogwarts Express_, which answered all Amera's questions.

"Beautiful isn't it?" said Aurora and Amera jumped.

"Yeah…"

There were parents shouting at their children to get on the train, and a few long goodbyes on the platform.

"Aurora? Aurora, is that really you?"

Narcissa found her way to them through the crowd. Draco was at her side, smiling at Amera and Tashia. Amera's mouth fell open, and gaped.

"You never said you were going to Hogwarts, Draco?"

"You never asked." he smiled.

Amera smiled back, but stuck out her tongue angrily before she did.

"It really is! I recognised Tashia and Amera, but you…you're still so beautiful."

"Same to you Narcissa." said Aurora with a smile and hugged her.

"We better get on the train…" said Draco loudly as to interrupt them.

"Yes yes…" Narcissa bent down and kissed Draco on the cheek, and hugged him.

Aurora hugged Tashia and Amera at the same time, then let them go.

"Have a good term. See you at Christmas!" said Aurora as Amera and Tashia ran towards the train.

Tashia and Amera dragged their trunks onto the train, and the corridors were still packed.

"See you at school!" Draco shouted somewhere behind them.

"See you!" Tashia and Amera shouted back.

Tashia and Amera pulled their trunks along until they found an empty compartment. They closed the door behind them and quickly shoved their trunks onto the luggage rack. Then they sat down and took a breath.

"That was a rush!" said Amera taking a breath.

"Tell me about it…" Tashia gasped.

Then the door flew open and a familiar face poked through.

"How you doing, girls?"

"Oh my Merlin! Harry!" Amera jumped up and hugged him, and afterwards Tashia hugged him.

Amera smiled at Harry, who was obviously just also running to catch the train.

"Didn't see you in Diagon Alley…" said Amera with a disappointed look.

"Yeah well, I see you support the Weird Sisters" said Harry looking at the lead singer strumming her guitar on Amera's shirt.

"Uhm…do you mind if we sit here, everywhere else is full." Harry asked, almost pleading.

"By "we" you mean…"

"Neville, Luna, Ron, Hermione and me. If you don't mind?"

"Seven people? One compartment?" said Tashia suddenly.

"It works, believe me." Harry smiled, hoping to be let in.

"Sure…more the merrier." Amera answered.

"Thanks." Harry picked up his trunk, put on top of Amera's trunk and put another two trunks on top of another.

"See? It was made for seven." Harry smiled.

Another boy stepped in with a round face and clutching a toad, then a girl, with really long blonde hair and large misty eyes, holding a copy of The Quibbler.

"This is Neville, and Luna. They're some of my friends." said Harry.

Amera held out her hand smiling back at them, and so did Tashia.

"I'm Amera."

"Tashia."

"Very interesting read you got there, Luna." said Amera after shaking her and Neville's hands.

"Oh yes. It's been doing very well since Harry's interview. We had an exclusive…" said Luna, tearing a pair of spectrespecs out of the middle and putting them on her nose.

Amera looked at Harry and he just smiled.

"Very weird…" She mouthed to Harry and nodded in Luna's direction.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. There was a group of girls standing outside their compartment door, pointing into their compartment and giggling.

"Fine, I'll do it…" one girl with long dark hair eventually said.

She stepped into their compartment and looked down at Harry, smiling all the while.

"I'm Romilda Vane. We were just wondering if you'd like to come sit with us in our compartment, you don't have to sit with _them_…" She added, looking at Luna and Neville, who was looking for his frog under the bench.

"They're my friends; thanks…" said Harry, looking away.

But no one heard him over Amera, almost shouting at them.

"If there were less people like you criticizing _real_ people, then maybe we wouldn't have a world full of clones!"

"Oh…" said Romilda Vane with wide eyes and stepped out the compartment, walking off with her friends.

There was a moment of silence.

"People would expect Harry to have cooler friends than us." said Luna, looking over the edge of her spectrespecs.

Luna was uncanny at telling the honest truth, and this made Amera and Tashia laugh.

"You're fine Luna, don't let anyone tell you different." said Amera.

Luna smiled and pushed her spectrespecs higher up on her nose and delved into her magazine. After a few minutes the train pulled away jerkily from the station. But not before long, another girl burst into the compartment, holding out four rolls of parchment sealed with a purple ribbon.

"I must deliver this to…uhm…Neville Longbottom, Tashia Truevale, Amera Genesse and…Harry Potter…"

The girl looked at Harry with one long stare then left all the scrolls with him.

"What's this?" Harry asked rhetorically, handing out the respective scrolls.

Harry read it slowly then realised what it was. He saw someone the night that Dumbledore came to fetch him, and that someone was Horace Slughorn. He "collected" his favourite students so that he could say that he was well connected, and he had a very strong feeling that this had something to do with it.

"Who is this Slughorn?" Tashia asked.

"New professor…"

"And why is he inviting us for lunch?" Amera asked.

"No idea. But I suppose we better go…" said Harry, standing up and getting ready to leave.

"Where you going Harry?"

A tall, redheaded boy had appeared at the door, along with another girl with very bushy brown hair, both tugging trunks behind them.

"Just got some invites. We'll be right back…" with that, Harry, Neville, Amera and Tashia had set off down the corridors to find Slughorn's compartment.


	9. Favorites::Strangers

People kept staring at Harry, all the way down the corridors until they found Slughorn's compartment. When they did eventually find it, they noticed many other people there as well. As Harry opened the door, hoping he wouldn't be noticed, a booming voice shouted:

"HARRY M"BOY! COME SIT!"

Exactly what Harry didn't want…all of a sudden, every eye was on him.

"Glad to see you brought the others with you…come, sit, sit…"

They all squeezed into the little space there was, and waited for something to be said by this short, enormous man. He started off by questioning the few kids nearest him, and then moved onto those furthest away from him.

"Now now everyone, we all know Harry Potter…or some are saying now…the "Chosen One". What have you got to say about that, m'boy?"

"Nothing much sir…"

"Ah so modest!" boomed Slughorn.

Harry was wondering why Neville was here, and Harry thought that maybe he was going to be interrogated to see if he was as good as his parents. Amera and Tashia were sitting in the corner opposite them, trying their best not to laugh at something Tashia had just said.

"What's to be said there?" Slughorn suddenly asked of Tashia and Amera.

"Nothing, sir…we were just commenting on your…lovely waistcoat." Amera tried her best to keep a straight face, but ended up smiling at Slughorn anyway.

Slughorn took this as a great compliment and started questioning Amera instead.

"Thank you so much! Now you are…" Slughorn asked, obviously not sure who she was since she walked in.

"I'm Amera Genesse, sir."

"AH YES! You look so much like your dear mother. Talented witch she is…still working so hard?" Slughorn asked.

"Yes sir…she just took this summer off since Tashia and I …"

"AH Tashia Truevale! Yes, your parents were some of my favourites. Very talented they were. I hope you have inherited some of their wit?"

Tashia was caught off guard by this sudden change of questioning, and just threw something out.

"I hope so sir…"

"Also so modest! They are some of your friends, Harry?"

Harry nodded, and Slughorn laughed again.

"Birds of a feather hey, Harry? All these modest people in one carriage…" Slughorn took to offering some bread rolls, many of which were happy to take. Slughorn promptly questioned many of the children sitting alongside him, while the scenery outside grew wilder and darker. Harry knew that they were nearing Hogwarts and hoped Slughorn would notice the same.

"Oh my! Is that the time already? You all better go and change into your robes. Off you go…" Slughorn scooted them all out his compartment and back to their own.

Harry got lost somewhere along the way back to their compartment, but Amera and Tashia carried on walking with Neville.

"Strange man he is…" said Tashia just before their compartment.

"Tell me about it…" said Amera just before opening the compartment door.

Amera walked in first, then Tashia and Neville. They saw the girl and redheaded boy seated in the compartment. Amera and Tashia stood still for a while, and getting some stares back Amera eventually spoke.

"Hi, I'm Amera. This is Tashia. We saw you when we were going out…"

"Yes, I'm Hermione, and this is Ron. We're friends of Harry's."

"Great to meet you, kind of bad timing though!" said Amera with a laugh.

"We better get changed into our robes." said Hermione smiling at Amera.

They took down their trunks and pulled their robes over their heads. Harry had still not found his way back to the compartment when the train had stopped at Hogsmeade station.

"Did Harry come with you?" Ron asked suddenly of Amera.

"He did come out with us, but somehow he just went missing." said Amera, taking her trunk down.

"You can leave that, it gets taken to the school." said Hermione, smiling again.

They shouldered their way into the crowd, and onto the platform. They waited to see if Harry would climb off the train, but after several minutes the crowd started thinning.

"Maybe he went with the first carriages…" said Hermione.

The six of them went in one carriage to Hogwarts, where it stopped outside the gate topped with two winged boars.

"This is so…gothic." said Tashia, climbing out the carriage.

"This is beautiful." Amera replied.


	10. Sorting::Gryffindor

They walked up the steep lawns towards the school, and into the Great Hall. There were a quite a few students there, the students that took carriages before them. But there was no sign of Harry. The four long tables had students wearing different colours at each.

"OK so do we just sit anywhere?" Tashia asked.

"I think you're going to be sorted with the first years…" Hermione answered.

Just then, Professor McGonagall came through the door, walking straight for them.

"Amera Genesse? Tashia Truevale?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes ma'am." said Tashia and Amera at the same time.

McGonagall hugged them both suddenly, and let go just as quickly. Amera and Tashia looked at each other and then at the professor.

"You are going to be sorted with the first years. Come with me…"and she lead them out of the Great Hall.

The hall quietened as everyone sat down, and waited for the first years to come through for their sorting. The doors wrenched open, and a long line of tiny first-years were lead in by Professor McGonagall. Behind them all, were Amera and Tashia. They didn't look nervous at all, unlike the first years. They stood higher than the first years, and strolled easily behind them while they half-jogged to keep up with McGonagall. McGonagall stepped beside an old raggedy-looking thing on a stool and held out a list of names. Before anything could happen, the thing burst into song, about the founders of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. After the song, after Tashia and Amera knew it was a hat, Professor McGonagall looked at the list and called out the first name.

"Acrogen, Mila."

A small girl stepped up to the stool and sat on it, after which McGonagall placed the raggedy looking thing on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted, and the girl ran down to the table with the students in blue.

The list was awfully long, and after a while Tashia and Amera were the only ones left.

"Genesse, Amera." Professor McGonagall called.

Amera walked up to the chair and sat on it, and had the hat placed on her head.

"Mmm…very tough you are…sixth year…too smart for your years…" said a small voice in her ear.

Amera wanted to nod, but it was more a self-made conversation for the hat.

"I think…maybe…Ravenclaw…or…Gryffindor…"

Amera suddenly remembered that Harry had told her that she would probably be a Gryffindor, and hoped she would be there.

"Gryffindor, eh? Ravenclaw is where your unusual intelligence belongs…" said the small voice again.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat eventually shouted.

Amera smiled and stood up, but realised she didn't know where to go, because she wasn't paying attention to the first years and where they went…

"It's the red table." whispered McGonagall.

Amera looked around at all the tables, and saw a blaze of white blond hair at another table. Amera smiled and walked down to the table, where Ron and Hermione were sitting. Amera had barely reached her seat when the hat shouted again.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Amera turned around and saw Tashia running down the length of the table, almost ready to jump on her.

"We're Gryffindors! I have no idea what it means, but we're the same!"

Hermione let out a small giggle, and they shot her a look.

"You don't know what a Gryffindor is?" Hermione laughed.

Amera and Tashia shook their heads, and looked down at her.

"Sit down, the feast should start soon."

But before they even sat down, the feast popped onto the tables, with food everywhere. Amera and Tashia sat on either side of Hermione, and looked at the massive amount of food.

"This is quite a lot…" said Amera, taking some potatoes.

"Now I know what Aurora meant." said Tashia, taking the potatoes from Amera.

They sat for a while, but Harry had still not joined them. They were just about finished when Harry strolled in the door with Professor Snape, and he didn't have his robes on.

"What happened to you Harry?" said Hermione shifting up and making space for him between her and Amera.

"Got caught up…"

"Not where you've been! You're full of blood."

Harry looked down at his shirt and it was full of dry blood. Before he could answer, Hermione had her wand out and was siphoning off the dried blood.

"Thanks Hermione." said Harry.

Harry reached out for some food but before he took it, it was replaced with pudding.

"Aww damn! I was really hungry." said Harry taking some pudding instead.

"You were right Harry." said Amera from next to him.

Harry turned around, and saw Amera sitting next to him

"Geez! I didn't see you there."

"Feel the love!" said Tashia with a hurt voice on the other side of Hermione.

"Sorry, I just…"

"It's ok. You were right, I got Gryffindor." said Amera again.

Harry hugged Amera tightly and smiled over Hermione's shoulder at Tashia, with which he shook hands later. Ron and Hermione just looked at them and carried on eating.

"Excellent! I knew you would." he let go of her and smiled.

"Well it was either here or Ravenclaw. I thought here would be a nice choice."

Hermione and Harry almost both choked on whatever they were eating and looked at each other.

"What jumped down your throats?" Ron asked.

Hermione tried to say something, but Harry was the one who spoke.

"You chose Gryffindor?"

"Yeah…I just thought I would be nice since you said I'd be in here."

Harry went wide-eyed. He only ever knew of himself and Hermione that almost told the hat where to put them.

"I had the same choice…" Hermione eventually croaked to Amera, with a weird expression.

Amera smiled, and went back to her pudding.


	11. Tower::Secrets

After dinner, and the speech by Dumbledore, Hermione was doing prefect duties, but Ron didn't bother. Amera and Tashia followed him and Harry to Gryffindor tower, whispering about Dumbledore, and stopped in front of a portrait of a fat lady in a pink satin dress.

"Uhm…" Ron mumbled.

"Oh, I'll do it." Hermione stood next to them and said the password, after which the portrait swung open.

"Where do we go from here Hermione?" Amera asked.

"What year are you?"

"Sixth year…"

"Oh…just stay here, I'll be with you now."

Hermione took some of the first years to their rooms, and then came back to Amera and Tashia.

"Sorry…ok you're sixth year with me…up the right stairs until you get to a room with _Sixth year_ written on the door." Amera and Tashia smiled then went up the stairs to their new room.

During the time that Amera and Tashia were gone, Harry had told Hermione what had happened to him on the train, seen as though Ron already knew.

"That Malfoy! How could he?" said Hermione, cringing at the thought

"Well this is Malfoy we're talking about…"

Amera and Tashia came back down the stairs, with a happy look on their faces.

"The rooms are really nice."

"I think I'm going to bed…" said Hermione, yawning.

"Can I speak to you Harry?" Amera asked.

Ron and Hermione gave each other the same looked they did in the Great Hall, and both went to bed, along with Tashia.

"Sure. Come sit…" said Harry, moving over.

Amera sat down next to him and smiled at him.

"What's a Gryffindor?"

Harry wanted to laugh, but he knew that she really didn't know what it was.

"We're in houses, see. Every house has different qualities and that's where we stay for our school years. We get house points from class and Quidditch, and the winner get the house cup at the end of the year. We only stay in our own houses and no one else can get into another house without someone from that house."

"That's smart…"

Harry smiled, but he knew this isn't what she wanted to ask.

"What is it you really want to know?"

"How many people do you know in the school?" she asked.

"I don't know…a fair few I think. Why?"

"I was just wondering in where the house is that one of my other friends are in."

Harry thought for a while, but he remembered something.

"I thought I was the only person you knew that came to Hogwarts, well me…and…Cedric."

Amera looked very sad at the hearing of Cedric's name, but carried on anyway.

"I met one of my old friends over the summer."

"Does this mean you're breaking up with me?" said Harry on a lighter note and Amera couldn't help but laughing.

"Come on Harry! I'm serious! He's such a sweet guy and I've known him forever. He said he'd see me at school when I was on the train."

"Why didn't you ask him where his house was while on the train?"

"I didn't know that this house thing was so important then. But I really want to know where his house is so I can go say hi to him."

"Well what's his name?"

"Draco."

Harry's jaw almost clicked out from falling open so fast. He was sure it made some snap noise, as Amera turned from the fire to him.

"What?" she asked.

"Draco Malfoy?"

"You know him?"

"Oh yeah…we're big buddies." said Harry sarcastically.

"Where is his house?" Amera asked.

"The Slytherin's are in the dungeons. But you can't be serious? He just broke my freaking nose on the train!" Harry was getting angry quickly now.

"All that blood was from your nose?"

"Yes! He jinxed me and broke my nose when I couldn't move! Tell me again that he's a nice guy."

Amera opened her mouth, but closed it again.

"No, go on, say it." Harry willed her on.

"I _do_ think he's a nice guy…"

"Sure. The same way that a snake is nice to its prey! He broke my freaking nose when I couldn't fight back." Harry wanted to laugh at the comparison of a snake, but held it in.

"Him and Narcissa are nice…"

"You know his mother? Please don't tell me…is she the "mom's friend" you went to see?"

Amera nodded.

"She's the one who buys you all that stuff?"

Amera nodded again.

"But why? You got enough of you own money!"

"It's in a trust till I'm seventeen Harry! Narcissa offers to take me shopping and pays for the stuff."

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then Amera turned to go to bed.

"Goodnight Harry."

Harry didn't say anything back at the moment, just waved her off.

"See you in the morning." she went to the girls' dormitory door and closed it unnecessarily hard.


	12. Classes::Discoveries

The day started off slower than usual, and once again people were staring at Harry, like they did on the train.

"I swear, he was talking about Voldemort!" Harry snapped at Hermione again, explaining why he was in Malfoy's compartment when he broke his nose.

"We all know he was doing it to impress Pansy." said Ron reasonably.

"That's a big lie to tell, even for him." said Hermione.

They were heading for the portrait hole for breakfast. When everybody was queuing for the door, Harry decided to carry on later.

"It's rude to point!" Ron snapped at a particularly small first year that was looking at Harry. He climbed out the portrait hole so fast he almost fell over his robes.

"This is going to be a really good year, free periods and all." said Ron smiling while going down the white marble staircase to breakfast.

"You must use that time to study." said Hermione with a cold look.

Ron just rolled his eyes and sat down at the table, scooping scrambled eggs onto his plate. Amera and Tashia strolled past, and Tashia smiled at Harry, but Amera had a very straight face.

"Morning." He said as they walked past, but only Tashia said morning back.

"Did you and Amera fight last night?" Hermione asked when Harry turned back.

"Yeah…but she'll come around soon."

"So you didn't break up? Hermione asked again.

Harry almost choked on a mouthful of eggs, and swallowed hard.

"Did you just say break up?"

"I was just wondering…" Hermione added hastily.

"She one of my closest friends Hermione! She talks to me about everything. We basically grew up together. We fight every now again, but she'll forgive me in about a day, or I'll forgive her in a day…whatever."

"I was just thinking Harry…I didn't mean in it the wrong way. Really." Hermione added with a sorry voice.

Harry nodded and carried on eating. McGonagall came down the table, handing out timetables, sitting down with the sixth years, compiling their timetables.

"Well I'll tell your grandmother just because she failed her Charms OWL, doesn't make it a worthless subject." with that Professor McGonagall handed Neville a timetable.

She went up to Hermione, who only had to confirm her subjects and then went to her first period of Ancient Runes. Next were Harry and Ron, who both chose the same subjects. They took Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration and Potions.

"We've got off right now, after break and lunch!" Ron pointed out at his timetable.

Harry nodded and listened to Amera and Professor McGonagall's conversation.

"Very well. Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Arithmancy, Potions and Demonology. Are you sure about Demonology? There will only be a few students taking it."

"I'm sure Professor." Amera smiled, and Professor McGonagall handed her a timetable.

"Tashia?"

"Same as Amera Professor."

Professor McGonagall tapped another timetable and handed it to Tashia, and then they headed off to their first period.

"Think Hermione's got competition; they both got seven subjects like her." said Harry watching them walk out the hall.

"Tell me about it, they don't even need to take that much." Ron answered.

From there Ron and Harry went back to the Gryffindor common room, where a few other seventh and sixth years were sitting. But after an hour, they were off to their first lesson of the day, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Hermione, Amera and Tashia were already standing outside the classroom waiting to enter.

"We have got so much homework already!" Hermione complained.

"Tell me about it! We got a three foot essay for Demonology!" Harry overheard Amera saying.

"Oh you poor souls…" yawned Ron.

"You wait…bet Snape gives us loads." Hermione bit back.

The door flew open and the ever-familiar Snape told them all to enter. The classroom was dark and lit by a few candles, from which they could see a few posters stuck on the wall of bleeding or tortured people. After an hour, they left the classroom, to which many people had something to say.

"That was brilliant Harry!" said Ron.

Harry smiled and carried on walking. He had just jinxed Snape, even though he had got detention for it, he thought it was worth it. He shouted out the spell, even though he was supposed to be doing it without incantations. The only ones who mastered it were Amera, Hermione and Tashia.

"I've had enough of him, had enough of it last year."

They were walking to the courtyard for break, for a few minutes before they went to the common room for another free period. They spoke for a while when they heard shouting from inside the hall, they only heard a few words of what were said.

"Worthless… fake … pretences …"

Hermione looked at the doors, and thought for a while.

"That sounds like a girl."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and ran for the doors, followed by Hermione. They could still hear some shouting, but it was farther than they thought. Many other people were heading for the same spot, hoping to find a fight. They carried on until they found a corridor with five people standing in it. One was screaming, one was sitting against the wall, and the other three were receiving the thorough scolding at wand point. The last person looked really small, and could've easily been a first-year.

"You think you're so tough don't you? Picking on a first year that doesn't even know their way around the school yet!"

Harry immediately recognised the three people receiving the scolding; Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.

"He's a filthy little mudblood! Even you should despise him…" Draco tried fast, in a desperate voice.

"Ancestry doesn't matter! Some of the best witches and wizards are muggle-born."

"Say what you mean, they're mudbloods." said Draco with a smirk.

The person shouting held their wand higher, then said again calmly.

"Don't use such language around me Draco; maybe you should receive a lesson without your brutes…"

Harry knew who the wand holder was, it was Amera. But Tashia was nowhere to be seen, and then she appeared at Harry's side.

"She's very good, watch this…" said Tashia, pointing.

Amera flicked her wand, and then Crabbe and Goyle fell, frozen stiff. She was already practising her wordless magic, and wasn't that bad either. Draco hastened for his wand, then Amera said again.

"You really don't know what's coming…" Amera flicked her wand again, then there was a flash of yellow light and Draco was against the opposite wall.

"Not that nice is it?" said Amera before walking away.

Everyone stood with their mouths open, watching Amera trying to get through the crowd. Amera smiled at Harry as she walked past him, with a small cut on her cheek. Pansy ran out the crowd and to Draco sitting against the wall, after the first year ran off, and spoke to him. She whipped out her wand and aimed it Amera, before it flew out of her hand and slid down the hallway.

"Rules of engagement, never attack an enemy when their backs are turned. It shows cowardice and weakness." said Tashia, with her wand suddenly at her side.

Tashia put her wand away and followed the path that Amera took. Everyone was still awestruck including Draco.

"Blood traitor!" Draco shouted before he noticed that Amera was gone.


	13. Anger::Sorrow

At dinner, there was much talk at the tables of what had happened to Draco.

"I don't know, they're some new girls…"

"That jinx was excellent! And wordless! Even Hermione Granger…"

The talk quietened to a whisper when Amera and Tashia wandered through the doors. Amera didn't acknowledge any of the whispers, nor did Tashia. Tashia sat down quickly next to Harry, and Amera sat far away from them all. She had very angry face, not looking up at anyone.

"She's very moody lately…"said Harry, pointing with his fork.

"I have no idea what wrong with her. She's just so…I dunno…indecisive." said Tashia, scooping mashed potato onto her plate.

"About?"

"Don't know…"

Harry had a good idea what it was about, but he didn't want to say anything. At the Slytherin table, Draco was recounting his side of the story.

"Blood traitor…if my mother knew about this…" said Draco angrily, shoving his food around his plate.

"Don't worry Drakie, she'll get what's coming to her."

Draco looked at Pansy and just shook his head. She just didn't get it.

"Maybe I _should_ stop picking on first years…" Draco thought, before changing his mind angrily.

"I shouldn't have to do anything for anyone. Not even her."

Draco stood up and walked out of the hall, followed by very few eyes. Harry watched him walk out and bang the doors shut again.

"He doesn't like being humiliated, especially by girls…" said Tashia, also watching Draco leave.

Harry nodded, and looked at Amera down the bench. She looked up for a second and looked even angrier, then went back to also shoving her food around her plate.

When they went back to the common room; Amera was walking alone and Tashia was walking with Harry. They climbed through the portrait hole, and sat down at one of the tables, ready to do their homework. Amera sat down at the same table, just far away from the others.

"What is wrong with her?" Hermione asked, without lifting her head or quill from her parchment.

"Dunno. Too scared to ask." said Tashia.

Amera was writing hastily on a piece of parchment, constantly tapping it with her wand and clicking her tongue. After what seemed forever, most people had gone to bed. Harry had stayed behind to ask Amera what was wrong; she was seemingly still writing on her essay. Harry got up and moved down a few chairs, sitting in the chair next to Amera.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Amera looked up and sighed, and pretended to carry on.

"Please tell me." he pleaded.

Amera sighed again, and put down her quill.

"Why do you always have to be right Harry?"

Harry knew what she was talking about instantly, and rubbed her on the shoulder.

"What can I say…I told you so."

Amera smiled at Harry, and went back to writing her essay.

"You can go to bed if you want Harry. I'll only be another few minutes. Just finishing Snape's essay."

Harry didn't need telling twice. He put his books into his bag and shoved it under the table.

"Night."

"Goodnight Harry."

Amera carried on finished her essay, and took her wand out to check for spelling errors. She looked it over once, then rolled it up and put it in her bag. She conjured herself a mirror, and fixed the cut on her cheek. She stared at herself hard in the mirror, before she vanished and went up to bed.


	14. Trials::Chasers

McGonagall had arranged for the Quidditch trials to be held on a Saturday because so many people had put down their names. It was two weeks after school had started, and the excitement was rising for the tryouts. It was a warm and sunny day, and the Quidditch pitch was flooded with people, and everyone had a broom, from the second years with school brooms to the older students with their own brooms.

Harry had already tried for beaters, and got two very good one's, but nowhere near Fred and George's league. Now he was trying out chasers, and he already had Katie Bell from the previous year. He only had two chasers to choose and it was decisively difficult. There were four good chasers, and Harry knew all them well.

Dean Thomas, Ginny Weasley, Tashia Truevale and Amera Genesse were taken from the best groups of flyers. Now it came to deciding. Dean Thomas was very good, but he tended to keep the quaffle to himself. Tashia was also good, but she never seemed to get a proper hold on the ball to throw it through the hoops. That only left Ginny and Amera. Amera was the best goal scorer, and the fastest flyer other than Ginny. Ginny was a team player and was really good at dodging bludgers.

"Ginny. Amera. Fly one round with Katie and see how you do." Harry announced after five minutes.

Amera and Ginny made no fuss and took off instantly, flying one round with Katie and passing the quaffle between the three of them. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that these were his three chasers.

"Ginny. Amera. You made the team."

Ginny and Amera hugged each other in mid-air, even though they only knew each other from passing, and landed back on the ground. The last group were the keepers, and there was close tie between Ron and a burly boy named Cormac McLaggen. Ron saved five out of five goals, while McLaggen only saved four, with a very strange sense that he couldn't fly a broom. Ron was called for keeper, much to McLaggen's dismay, and they decided on the next team practice.

"Thursday at five. Don't be late, any of you." Harry shouted, and his new team followed him back up to the common room.

"Look at them, so happy go freaking lucky. Stupid Gryffindors." Draco was sitting by the lake alone, throwing stones into the water.

He watched the Gryffindors going up to the castle, laughing and talking about their Quidditch practice.

"I could be happy. If only…" Draco's mind wandered, and he shook his head.

"I am happy. All I need is servants!" he tried to convince himself.

He sighed and shook his head again. He took out his wand, and held it in an open hand.

"It's all because of this." He took his wand and threw it into the lake.

It didn't make it into the water; instead, it bounced right off the water and hit Draco on the head.

"Fuck! What the…" Draco picked up his wand, and threw it back into the lake.

Once again, it bounced off the surface of the water and came flying for his head again. He caught it before it came too close to hitting his head.

"What the…" Draco strode up to the water, and stood ready.

He conjured a rock and string, and tied it to his wand. He held the rock, with his wand dangling freely from the string. He threw the rock as far as he could, and watched the rock fall into the water, but as soon as his wand touched the water, the rock came out of the water again and flew straight for Draco's head.

"Oh damn…"

Draco ducked and felt the rush of air go over his head from the rock. He heard a thud and saw the rock embedded in the tree he was just sitting at, with his wand hanging from the string.

"I think it's afraid of water…"

Draco went to the rock in the tree, and pried the rock out if it. He looked at his wand, and thought what could make it do this. He walked to the water, and put his wand tip to it…the water turned to ice and resembled something of letters.

"What…" he frowned.

It looked something like _NOT YET._

"Doing your own spells now are you?"

The next thing, there was a puff of white fog and Draco couldn't see. He could barely see his hands in front of him, and heard something…a girl, laughing.

"Who's there?" he said softly.

There was another laugh.

"You know who I am Draco…"

He felt something swirl around him, and looked back. Out of nowhere, a beautiful face came right up to him and kissed him on the lips.

"You know it's what you want…" the voice faded away, with another soft laugh.

Draco blinked, and it was all gone. The fog and the beautiful girl.

"Nice charm…damn wand."

Draco put his wand away and went back up to the castle.


	15. Hogsmeade::Curses

Almost two months gone, school was settled in and the first years had finally stopped asking for directions. Amera and Tashia were finally settling in, and stopped comparing Hogwarts to Frozbergen. It was a cold and windy Saturday and the day of the Hogsmeade visit. People were rushing down into the Entrance Hall and were being checked by Filch and his Secrecy Sensor. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Amera and Tashia were waiting in the long queue to go down to Hogsmeade. After half an hour they were on their way down to Hogsmeade, but not that it was very enjoyable in the least. They wrapped their scarves around most of their face, but after sometime, there was no feeling in the part that wasn't covered. When they did get into Hogsmeade, they saw that Honeyduke's was extremely full, and opted for Zonko's instead. When they arrived outside of Zonko's, they saw it was closed down. They couldn't stand the cold much longer and went straight back for Honeyduke's. Even though it was crowded, it was still warm. They struggled through the crowd to get to the counter, when they heard dreadfully familiar voice.

"Don't think you can stay away forever Harry!"

Tashia, Amera and Hermione instantly tried to shrink into the crowd, but they didn't get very far. They were stuck next to Harry and Ron, and waited for the inevitable invite from Slughorn.

"Harry m'boy! You've been missing my dinners! Ask your friend Hermione here, they are actually quite enjoyable."

Hermione nodded, but did so with force.

"See! You've been missing out! Next time, I'll get you."

Harry tried to explain that he had a lot of things to do, but Slughorn wouldn't even give him the chance.

"And you two! Same excuses?" he looked at Amera and Tashia, although he couldn't look down on them as he was shorter than them all.

"Sir, there's been Quidditch and homework…"

"Nonsense! I'll make sure you attend one of my dinners."

Before any one of Harry, Amera or Tashia could answer; Professor Slughorn was making his way through the crowd with his bag of crystallised pineapple.

"I'll make sure you attend one of my dinners …"Amera mocked him in a deep voice and bobbed around the shop like he did.

Harry, Hermione and Tashia all started laughing, but Ron didn't look nearly as happy.

"How come all of you get invited and I don't. It's bloody unfair I tell you."

"Well Ron, if you could hex anyone like Ginny can, then maybe you would be invited." said Hermione.

"Ginny got invited as well?" Ron looked very angry at this point.

"Yes. I thought you knew." Hermione looked worried that she had said something.

Ron just shook his head and started mumbling angry swearwords under his breath.

"There's not much more in Hogsmeade other than the Three Broomsticks. After there, we'll just go back to the castle." Hermione announced.

They all paid for their sweets and went up High Street to the Three Broomsticks. They had butterbeer and went back to the castle, following Katie Bell and one of her friends closely. The wind was blowing hard, and they could all hear what Katie and her friend were talking about.

"What you got there Katie? Please tell me…" Katie's friend begged.

"It's got nothing to do with you Leanne…"

But her friend didn't take no for an answer. She lunged for the package, and tore the wrapping. Katie dropped it, and something happened to her. She started floating, her face was totally blank and hair was flying around her face from the wind, until she got six foot into the air and then she started screaming. Harry ran and tried to pull Katie down, and when she was on the ground, she was still screaming, and thrashing her arms and legs wildly.

"What's wrong with her?" Leanne asked, on the verge of tears.

"Stay here. I'll go get someone from the castle."

Harry ran as fast as he could, down the path and up to the gates, when he ran into something.

"Wha' wrong Harry?"

Harry looked up and saw Hagrid.

"It's Katie. There's something wrong."

Harry pulled Hagrid by the arm, and led him into Hogsmeade. Katie was still thrashing, being held by Amera and Tashia. Hermione was holding Leanne, who was crying so much it soaked Hermione's jacket. Hagrid didn't even ask, and immediately picked Katie up and took her back to the castle. Leanne and Hermione followed Hagrid back to the castle, leaving a large crowd where Katie was. Harry, Ron, Amera and Tashia were all looking at the package that Katie had dropped.

"It's a necklace." Harry recognised it, he had seen it before.

"That's not just a necklace Harry. That has got some serious Dark Magic on it." said Ron.

Harry took off his scarf, and wrapped it around the necklace.

"We should take this to McGonagall."

Harry, Ron, Amera and Tashia ran back to the castle, Harry carrying the necklace and the rest following.


	16. Apparition::Party

Katie was sent to St Mungos. She was still in some sort of coma when she left the hospital wing later that day. No one knew what kind of curse was on that necklace, but it was definitely Dark Magic. The news spread quickly through out the school, and she was replaced by Tashia as a chaser on the Quidditch team, as the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor Quidditch game was the following week. But other news seemed too be interesting the sixth years. One week after Katie's accident, and after the Quidditch game, which Gryffindor won, a poster appeared on the common room notice board. It was for Apparition lessons. People were standing in line to put their name down for the lessons, and most of them were sixth years. Tashia and Amera were getting ready to leave for breakfast, and the rest of the sixth years were wondering why they weren't putting down their names.

"Aren't you two going to put down your names?" Ron asked Tashia and Amera.

"We're too young Ron. The poster says if your birthday is before the 31st of August. Tash and I are after that. We'll just have to go next year."

Harry slapped his forehead hard. He had forgotten Amera and Tashia's birthdays.

"Only remembered now, have you?" said Tashia.

Ron and Hermione turned to look at Harry, and wondered what was going on. Harry gritted his teeth, and barely spoke.

"I'm so sorry. I just…there's no excuse."

Hermione smiled, and almost laughed. She had a devious look about her.

"Well here's an idea Harry. You forgot both their birthdays, you'll just have to make it up to them."

Hermione turned to Amera and Tashia, and asked them.

"There's two weeks left of school, and then we're off the next Sunday to go back home for Christmas. So how about it? We throw you two a party."

Amera and Tashia smiled, and then walked towards the portrait hole.

"Sounds good."

"Better start organising." Amera laughed and the portrait hole swung closed.

Hermione turned back to Harry, and wrote her name down on the list.

"So it's a sixteenth birthday party?" Hermione asked herself more than anyone else.

"How did you know?" Harry asked.

"It's logical Harry. They're not old enough for Apparition, and they just had a birthday. It adds up."

Harry nodded, and picked up his bag. He went towards the portrait hole, followed by Ron then Hermione.

"What does a person do for a birthday party at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"The Room of Requirement. Enough said." Ron answered.

Harry smiled at the thought of going in there again. Every time that they had used the Room of Requirement, it had been for the DA meetings. To see it different and what it really could do, Harry wondered about it for a while.

"So when are we going to do it Hermione?" Ron asked, ignoring Harry's daydreaming.

"I thought maybe the Saturday before we leave. Slughorn is throwing the Christmas party the Friday night before, and we leave on Sunday. Saturday's best."

Harry agreed with a nod, and followed Hermione and Ron silently all the way to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"We must first have a theme, and then the rest can be done by the Room." said Hermione.

The rest of the day, Hermione was thinking about the party a lot more than Harry and Ron, and it was Harry that was supposed to be throwing the party. But Hermione didn't mind, and Harry got the impression that she didn't get to throw many parties.

Hermione had arranged invitations for all Amera and Tashia's friends, and even sorted out a theme. They were going to have it the night after Slughorn's party, which was tonight, and hopefully they wouldn't be too tired for it the next night. Hermione, Tashia and Amera were invited to Slughorn's party, as was Harry. Ron had fought with Hermione about the date thing, and she ended up going with McLaggen. Amera and Tashia didn't want dates, as they really weren't going to stay that long anyway.

"We'll stay for the speeches, and then were going." said Amera.

Hermione nodded, and tied up the last strand of hair out of her face.

"Well then I'll just have to make do with Harry's conversation." said Hermione, straightening out her dress.

"Don't you mean McLaggen?" Tashia asked.

"Err…that's what I meant. Are we going to go, we should be getting there anytime soon." Hermione changed topic.

"Yeah. But I'm not to keen on this dress though." said Amera, wanting to take off her purple evening dress.

"It's fine; we're not staying long anyway." said Tashia, fixing her own black dress.

Amera, Hermione and Tashia all went down into the common room, and waited for Harry.

"Are you sure that either of you don't want to take Ron? He'll feel so left out."

Tashia and Amera laughed, and Hermione turned bright red.

"If we wanted to take him, we would've asked him already. But _we're_ not the ones who messed it up, are we Hermione?"

If it was even possible, Hermione turned an even brighter red.

"Ok I get it. Shh, here comes Harry."

Harry appeared at the steps, wearing neat black dress robes.

"What are you two teasing Hermione about?" Harry asked, but his smirk said that he already knew.

"Nothing Harry. Can we just go to this party and get it over with." Amera smiled.

Harry let the girls walk first, and followed politely. Amera and Tashia went directly to Slughorn's party, but Harry and Hermione went to find their dates in the Entrance Hall. Luna and McLaggen were already there, and they didn't take that long to get to Slughorn's party. When they were there, they were introduced to a whole lot of people, including a vampire. But it wasn't until there was an uninvited guest that really made the party exciting. Draco was caught trying to get into the party without an invite, saying all he wanted was to join the party. Amera and Tashia already left before they even saw Draco, but they were the one reason he had come. After Snape had cornered him in an empty classroom, he went the long way back to the Slytherin common room.

"Damn Snape. Thinks he knows all about me. One day he'll get taught a lesson…" Draco clicked his tongue and carried on walking.


	17. Birthday::Enchanted

Hermione had turned in late that night, but yet she was still up to getting ready the next night for Amera and Tashia's party. Amera and Tashia were already dressed, but yet they were blindfolded and sat on the bed waiting for something to happen.

"We know we're going to our party." Tashia said.

"Tell me why are we blindfolded again?" Amera asked.

Hermione shook her head and finally slicked on some lip-gloss.

"You're not allowed to see where we're going. That's the surprise."

If they weren't blindfolded, then Hermione would've seen Amera and Tashia rolling their eyes at her.

"Only a few more minutes, then we can go down to the common room. From there is where the fun starts."

Hermione turned on her chair and watched Amera and Tashia sitting impatiently on their beds.

"Really Hermione. Are you going to be much longer?" Amera asked

"I'm almost done." She sat watching them or another few minutes before telling them to stand up.

"Ok. I'm done. Are you two ready?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, we've been ready for ages…" Tashia sighed.

"Ok then, I hope you two are ready for this…" Hermione said, uncertainty in her voice as she had no idea what the Room of Requirement would look like after she announced the theme.

Hermione led them to the Room of Requirement; Harry and Ron were waiting patiently outside for them. The door had already appeared, with a few students already inside.

"Ready?" Hermione mouthed to the boys, they nodded, opening the double door for the girls.

The room had suddenly fallen silent, waiting for the girls blindfolds to be taken off.

"Did no one come to our party?" Tashia asked, realizing how quiet the room was.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" Hermione said, taking out her wand and making the blindfolds disappear.

"HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!" the entire room burst out.

Tashia and Amera's smiles spread wide across their faces. Amera was on the point of laughing at the amount of people that came to their party, Tashia was on the brink of crying.

"You guys all came for us?" Tashia choked out.

"Yes, of course we did." An obviously familiar, absent minded voice said.

Luna stepped out of the crowd, wearing a bright orange and yellow dress, carrying two identical boxes.

"I got these for you." She said again, handing them each a box.

Amera and Tashia looked at each other, wondering if they even wanted to open the box.

"Thanks Luna." Amera smiled politely and opened the box cautiously.

A purple ball of fur bounced out of the box and straight into Amera's hair. Amera got a fright and then grabbed it.

"It's a pygmy puff. Ron's brothers invented them." Harry laughed.

Amera looked at the fur ball, and then saw a little pair of eyes looking at her. Amera smiled wide and then put it back in the box.

"Thanks Luna. It's really great." Amera smiled, Tashia put her box down and left it for later.

"Ok now that everyone's here, I can finally announce the theme." Hermione said loudly as to quiet the crowd from the pygmy puff incident.

"Ok the theme is "a scene from the book Myths and Legends"!" Hermione said loudly, and then the room started changing accordingly.

The room changed into a magical meadow, with all sorts of magical plants and trees. The flowers became edible party favours, and the wall became trees that surrounded the meadow, where the walls once were. The crowd started changing into magical beings as well, some growing pointy ears and other changing entirely. Tashia and Amera stood with open mouths, wondering what they would become.

"Oh my…Tashia…" Amera said with a wide smile on her face.

Tashia looked at her hands and she was turning a shade of green, her hair becoming a strange glowing brown colour and her outfit became a tight corset with a strange skirt.

"I'd say that you're a siren…" Amera giggled.

"Well if I were you I wouldn't laugh yet…" Tashia giggled back.

Amera's skin became a glowing shade of white, her blonde hair turning silver and her outfit changed into flowing light blue robes.

"Wow…veela!" Tashia gasped, staring at Amera.

Amera laughed out loud as the crowd started gathering again after they had all changed. There were elves, mermaids, druids, elementals and nymphs. A small boy, which looked like an earth elemental, stepped up to them with a camera, and snapped a picture.

"Harry asked me to take pictures…" the boy said, before shuffling away to take another picture.

"Very nice you two…" Harry said, squeezing between Amera and Tashia and slinging his arms around their shoulders, attempting to hug them both at the same time.

Amera and Tashia looked at Harry between them, he had pointy ears.

"Aw Harry! You look so cute!" Tashia teased.

"Shh, look in front of you!" Harry smiled, seeing the boy come back with his camera.

The girls smiled and the flash went off again. Hermione came up to them, as a nymph, and smiled at them.

"Are you two enjoying the party so far?" she asked, to which they nodded fervently.

"You're the best Hermione!" Harry, Amera and Tashia said at the same time.


	18. Christmas::Home

Amera and Tashia were standing on the landing between platforms nine and ten inside King's Cross Station. They had just taken the long train ride so that they could spend Christmas at home. Harry and Hermione came out of wall from platform 9 3_/_4, led by two redheaded parents along with Ron and Ginny.

"See you back at school." said Harry, giving Tashia and Amera a hug each.

"We'll send you some presents." said Ginny and Ron together.

"Remember to write to me, ok?" said Hermione, giving them hugs after Harry.

"Yes. We'll also send you presents." Tashia answered all the questions at once.

"Just be sure to mention in your letters what you want, ok?" Amera laughed and hugged everyone again.

They walked out of the station together, and saw two very peculiarly dressed people, who they knew were two Aurors. Amera and Tashia stood with their trunks at a bench, and waved goodbye to them as they got into the small green car. Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Harry all sat comfortably in the back seat, even though it was only made for about a family of four. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione waved as they pulled away from the curb side, leaving Amera and Tashia to sit down on the station bench.

"She should be here soon. She knows we're coming home today." said Amera, looking down the almost deserted street. It was getting dark, and some snow was drifting down slowly from the sky. They heard a familiar hiccough of a car coming down the street, and stood up with their trunks. A white car pulled up and almost stalled. Aurora jumped out of the front seat and hurried to them, grabbing them in a joint hug.

"I'm so sorry! The damn car decided it would be funny to stall before I even got out the driveway! Took me nearly half an hour to fix it before I jinxed it right…" Aurora trailed off and smiled.

"But who cares! You're home for Christmas! After seven years of no Christmases without you two and now you're home…"

Aurora sniffed, and pulled out of their hugs. Amera and Tashia smiled, but couldn't get in a word edgeways before Aurora started again.

"Come come. Into the car. I'll get your trunks."

Amera and Tashia got into the car, Amera in the back and Tashia in the front, looking out of the frosting windows at Aurora. She looked around once or twice, whipped out her wand and tapped both trunks. She picked them up effortlessly, and put them in the boot of the car. She got into the drivers seat, and adjusted her mirror to look at Amera sitting in the back seat.

"Had a fine term? It's always hard starting out, but at least you got some off lessons."

Amera and Tashia smiled. They wanted to start blurting out everything at once, but just sat quietly and said "Yeah."

The drive back to Surrey wasn't that long, well not nearly as long as the train ride. They got out the car quickly and took out their trunks, which were still as light as feathers, and took them inside. Before Amera closed the door, her owl, Hermes flew in and landed on her shoulder.

"I was wondering where you were. Where in the world do you keep going?"

Hermes nibbled on her ear playfully and Amera laughed.

"Ok, go upstairs. I'll come give you some pellets now."

Hermes flew upstairs, and screeched, indicating he had just landed on his perch. Amera walked further into the house, closing the door and taking off her scarf.

"It's good to be home. Even if it is only for two weeks."

Tashia and Amera walked through the house; nothing had changed, except for the heavenly smell coming from the kitchen.

"Making a little something special for dinner." Aurora smiled.

Amera and Tashia flopped down onto the couch and relaxed.

"Tell me all about your term…you hardly said anything in the car."

Tashia sighed and looked to Amera to do the job.

"Maybe tomorrow mom. We're just so tired."

Aurora went through to the kitchen, and made a lot of noise. She came out with three dishes, balancing on a cloud of sparkles.

"Then eat some dinner and go to bed. You'll need the rest."

Amera and Tashia stood up and went to the dining room, sitting around the table with Aurora.

One week after arriving back home for the holidays, it was Christmas Eve and Amera, Tashia and Aurora were all in their pyjamas, sitting by a beautifully adorned yellow and gold Christmas tree, opening presents. Amera and Tashia's pygmy puffs were hopping around the carpet, chasing each other. The windows were frosted closed, and there was a big fire going in the fireplace.

"This is from Hermione!" said Aurora handing Amera a loosely wrapped present.

Amera looked at it, and tore off the paper. It was a Quidditch book, about her favourite team, the Holyhead Harpies.

"Aww! Hermione is such a sweetheart."

Amera placed the book on top of the pile of other stuff she got. Ron had sent her a huge box of Fizzing Whizzbees, and Harry sent her a pair of Chaser gloves for Quidditch. Her mom and Tashia gave her a lot of things, and all around there was a lot of stuff for every person.

"This one is from Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny." Aurora said, handing Tashia and Amera a present each.

They ripped it open, to find a beige leather bound album covered with moving printed maple leaves. They opened it, and saw that it was a bunch of photos from their birthday party and some other occasions through the term.

"Aw. Hermione made us a scrapbook." Tashia smiled, flipping through the rest of her book.

"This last one is for all of us." said Aurora, opening a light blue and silver envelope.

There was a silver piece of parchment in it, with three other pieces of paper.

"It's Narcissa's invite. For her ball tomorrow night. She even sent us three vouchers for Twilfitt and Tatting's."

Aurora handed them both a voucher, and kept her own.

"That's nice of her. Kitting us out for her ball." said Tashia, reading her voucher.

Amera looked at her voucher, which said _unlimited for one dress item _on it. There was a beautiful girl on the voucher, spinning around showing off her ball gown.

"Do we have to go?" Amera asked.

Aurora and Tashia turned to look at Amera. Tashia knew why she didn't want to go, but Aurora obviously not.

"You have to go! You haven't been to one of Narcissa's parties before. They're absolutely stunning."

Amera rolled her eyes. Draco was going to be there, and so was half of Slytherin house she supposed. Amera dreaded the idea of having to dress up to see Draco.

"Ok. I'll go. So we're going shopping tomorrow I take it?"

Aurora nodded, and seen as though they were done opening presents now, they went back to bed. Amera climbed the stairs heavily, and up to her room. She flopped back down onto her bed and buried her head in her pillow. She was angry with her mom for making her go to this ball, but she had to. Amera fell asleep, thinking of all the things that Draco had done to her that term.


	19. Twilfitt::Dresses

Amera woke up at nine the next morning with a headache. It must've been thinking about Draco before she went to sleep that gave her this headache. She went downstairs, where Tashia was already sitting at the table, eating breakfast. There were pancakes, eggs, sausages and toast set on the table, and Aurora was making blueberry crumpets.

"You're up. I was just about to come wake you." Aurora said loudly over the banging in the kitchen.

Amera held her head, and closed her eyes as she sat down at the table.

"What's" wrong?" Aurora asked.

"Got a massive headache."

Aurora went back to the counter, and fumbled around till she found her wand. She got a glass and tapped it, handing the glass of fizzing liquid to her. With the first sip her headache was gone.

"Thanks mom." She yawned.

"No problem. Now have some breakfast. You'll have to wait about another five minutes for the crumpets, but you can start off on some eggs and toast."

Amera dished herself up some eggs, toast and bacon, then had three blueberry crumpets put on her plate.

"You two better hurry up. Twilfitt won't be open long today. Narcissa arranged especially for them to be open today."

Amera was never amazed what Narcissa could do with the name of Malfoy behind her. Amera went upstairs, and put on self-heating jeans, polo neck jersey, sneakers and a thick jacket that Narcissa had gotten her from Italy. Then she went back down stairs, and waited for Tashia to join her and Aurora. Tashia ran downstairs, and stood in front of the fireplace.

"Ok let's go." She said.

But before Aurora threw the Floo powder in the fireplace, she laughed at them.

"Narcissa told me you still don't know how to Floo without falling out of the fireplace."

Amera and Tashia blushed and nodded.

"Ok now listen. Keep your weight on one foot and keep the other ready to step out of the other fireplace as soon as you touch the hearth."

Amera and Tashia nodded, and stepped in behind Aurora. Aurora dropped the handful of Floo powder and shouted "Twilfitt and Tatting's."

There was a swirling of green fire around them, and they stepped out into a brightly lit shop, with dark wood flooring and wall panelling. Amera and Tashia had never been here, but it seemed that Aurora had been. The front door was not open, and had no open sign. The windows were snowed shut by the continuing snow from the night before.

"Girls, the gowns are over there by the back." Aurora pointed to a rack with curtains hanging over them.

Amera and Tashia went over to them, and pulled back the curtains.

"Going to Mrs Malfoy's ball are you?" Came a voice from behind them.

They both span around and saw a little old lady standing behind them. She had definitely appeared from thin air, because they didn't hear the _pop_ from Apparition. The old lady smiled, but she still looked formidable.

"Uhm yes. We're looking for gowns that will go with her theme." said Amera.

"Ahh yes, these ones here are perfect." She walked a little way down the rack and pointed out silver, white and light blue dresses.

"This one would look perfect on you…" She said, taking out her wand, and pointing it to a silver dress, which then appeared on Tashia.

Tashia looked in the mirror, while marvelling her strapless, curvaceous dress. Amera went through the rest of the dresses, and took down a white dress.

"Oh yes. That one for you. Will bring out your beautiful eyes." The old lady said, and with a flick of her wand it was on Amera.

Amera looked down at her white dress, which seemed to look the right length now that it was on her. She stood next to Tashia, and looked in the mirror. She fixed the bodice, and straightened the long skirt with a mid-thigh slit. She turned around and looked how open her back was, which wasn't much.

"Tashia…" said Amera softly, as to not alarm the old lady.

"Mmm…" Tashia replied, still looking in the mirror.

"Can you see…my _birthmark_?"

Tashia looked around, and looked at the back of Amera's dress. She shook her head, and turned around to show her back to Amera.

"And me? I didn't even think…"

Amera shook her head, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"We'll take these dresses. Did Mrs Malfoy budget for shoes?" Amera asked the old lady.

"Oh yes. Here here." She waved her wand and the two dresses were in bags, and Amera and Tashia had their other clothes back on, then the old lady pointed at a rack full of shoes, and took two pairs down.

"These ones for the white dress, and these for the silver." The old lady said.

Amera smiled at the lady, and gave her the two vouchers for her and Tashia. Aurora appeared round the shelf, carrying a blue dress and matching shoes.

"Well if that's all. We should be going." She handed the old lady her voucher, who wrote down all three purchases on a piece of parchment, and gave it to and owl.

The owl flew out a high window, and disappeared with the purchase list.

"Goodbye Mrs Tatting. See you again." said Aurora, and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder.

"Five Privet drive, Surrey." With a flash of green flames, they were gone.


	20. Malfoy::Formal

Amera was sitting at her dressing table, doing her hair up for the ball. She hardly recognised herself in the mirror. Her hair was done up, and curled, with snowflakes decorating it. Her white dress was glittering now, and her shoes were so pretty with the dress. She had done her makeup white and blue, and made it very elegant. Everyone was going to be surprised, even Draco. She stood up, and Hermes squawked at her angrily.

"It's me Hermes. It's just the makeup."

Hermes turned his head as she spoke, and recognised her voice. He clicked his beak at her and stuck his head under his wing.

"It's for the ball. I'm not always going to wear this much makeup."

Hermes didn't move. Amera wanted to laugh at him, but went downstairs instead. It was almost time to go, and she was the last one there. Tashia was wearing her dark hair down, and so was Aurora. Aurora looked so young with her hair down; she looked like a teenager again.

"You look stunning." said Tashia as Amera came down the stairs.

"So do you. And you too mom."

Amera expected to Floo, so she went to the fireplace, and waited expectedly.

"What are you doing?" Aurora asked.

"Aren't we flooing?"

"No. Narcissa sent a limo to pick us up. It should be here…"

A hooter outside indicated that the limo had arrived, and Amera went to the front door, behind Tashia. They climbed into the limo, and the screen between them and the driver was up. Amera and Tashia had never been in a limo before, and so were very amazed at the size. They drove for what seemed like twenty minutes, maybe even thirty, until they arrived at large, black wrought-iron gates. A man in silver robes was standing at the gate, with a list.

"Name?" he asked in a voice that seemed to drone.

"Genesse. Party of three." said Aurora out the window.

The man pushed a button and the gates swung open. The gravel crunched under the tyres as the car drove slowly up the drive. There was a long queue of other black limousines, the occupants climbing a flight of marbles stairs adorned with a navy carpet.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Aurora.

Amera and Tashia looked out the windows. The lawn was covered by natural snow from that morning, and the very large pond was almost frozen except for the middle. But there were fairies, floating gracefully among the trees and bushes, and floating silver and blue lanterns that were lining the driveway. The Malfoy mansion itself was huge, as Amera had seen it from the outside only in the day. But at night, with the spotlights on the walls and balconies, and Christmas lights lining every window and balcony door, it seemed so much bigger. They were next to pull up to the marble stairs, and got ready to get out. Aurora got out first, with many camera flashes and talking of reporters.

"There are reporters? For a private party?" Amera asked.

Tashia shrugged and got out next, leaving Amera to wonder in her own nervousness. She took a deep breath, and followed Tashia out the same door. Many camera flashes blinked in her eyes, and she was blinded for a few seconds. A few questions were shouted at her, and then she saw Mrs Malfoy, standing under an ivy wreath.

"Come in. Don't mind them, they've been waiting for you all evening."

Amera almost fell over. The reporters were waiting for her? What for? She scrambled away from them, most ungracefully, into the shelter of the mansion. Inside were a few people, occupying the Entrance Hall, talking and making acquaintances. But this was obviously not where the party was, as only a fraction of the people who got out of the cars were standing there.

"The real party is down the hall, in the ballroom. Just follow your mom." said Narcissa to Amera before greeting her next guests.

Surely enough, Aurora was walking down the hallway, towards a huge doorway, with two butlers standing in the entrance. Amera followed quickly, and almost stumbled again in her shoes, to the doorway. Once inside the ballroom, Amera was glad that she came after all. She had read that Hogwarts Christmases were always stunning, but even Hogwarts could take a lesson from Mrs Malfoy. There were big snowflakes falling from the ceiling, the size of saucers, but disappeared before it touched any of the guests" heads. Huge ivy wreaths were revolving in midair, with no strings, with _Merry Christmas_ in silver letters suspended halfway through the hoop. And even more unnoticeable, but a very good touch, there were fairies, like the ones in the garden, sitting on the wreaths holding small bunches of mistletoe patiently in their laps. Amera watched the fairies, to see what they would do. After sometime, a fairy shot down, holding its mistletoe high with a giggle, and hovered over a married couple, until they kissed, then it flew away again to its wreath.

"Narcissa has got very good taste…" Amera thought.

But she even saw a young man and woman bickering, but not hotly; but the fairy too flew over them until they kissed and made up, stopping the fight instantly and they erupted in a burst of laughter.

"That fairy better stay away from me when I'm shouting Draco down, or I'll hex it worse than him." Amera thought, and even her brain gave a little whoop of joy.


	21. Dancing::Truce

The party was wearing on, and dinner was over; so all the guests were on the dance floor, dancing to classical music. Tashia and Amera were sitting on one of the couches that lined the dance floor, and waited patiently for Aurora to finish talking to everyone.

"How much longer do you think she'll be?" Amera sighed.

"Probably another three hours." Tashia answered.

Two boys came up to them, one that they recognised from Ravenclaw and the other from Slytherin. The Ravenclaw boy, Kevin Williams, asked Tashia to dance; while the seventh year Slytherin boy, Justin Scarafol, asked Amera.

"May I have the honour of a dance with the lady?" Justin asked.

"Sure." Amera smiled, and held out her hand.

Justin took her hand, and led her to the dance floor. The band started with a new song, and it was a slow waltz. Justin pulled Amera closer, and started in time with the music. Justin was a wonderful dancer, and it showed, as he led Amera perfectly in the dance. Amera wondered, why after all the time he never noticed her, he asked her to dance.

"Justin…you do know I'm a Gryffindor right?" Amera whispered to him

"Yes. But we're not at school, are we?" He smiled back at her.

Amera smiled, and he led her into another dance. Amera was enjoying herself so much; she didn't even notice the some people started moving away from them.

"Excuse me. May I have the next dance?" came a polite voice from behind them.

Justin stepped aside, and gave Amera's hand to the next dancer. Amera watched Justin go to the edge of the dance floor, and looked up to see the face of the next person she was to dance with.

"Drr…Draco?" stuttered Amera.

"Not happy to see me?" Draco smiled, but Amera just frowned.

"No I'm not. And I don't want to dance with you."

Amera tried to walk away, but Draco held her hand tightly. She turned and saw Narcissa and Aurora looking their way and talking in whispers, and so was everyone else. Draco pulled Amera back in a twirl, and smiled at her before leading her into the next dance without delay.

"Change your mind?" Draco whispered in her ear.

"I'm only doing this since your mother was watching and she thinks were big buddies again. Ok?"

Draco smiled, waved his hand to the band and the changed the song again.

"Know how to tango?" he asked.

Before Amera could say anything, he had already pulled her body close to his and started to tango. He swung her out, and pulled her back in, with Amera twirling with her dress spreading out around her. He dipped her back, and since she couldn't lift her leg, she put it out behind herself for balance. Draco was an even better dancer than Justin, and soon everyone had cleared from the dance floor for them. Draco spun her once more, and with the last, long note from the mandolin, he dipped her again, leaning over her so that their faces were barely an inch apart. As the note from the mandolin started dying out, Draco's hand slid down her waist and onto her butt. She barely even noticed, when Draco was staring so deep into her eyes she swore he could read her mind. Applause broke out all around them, and soon everyone was back on the dance floor with the start of the next song. Draco was still holding her in a dip, and Amera's face was going redder the more he stared at her, and she silently thanked Merlin she was wearing so much makeup.

"Are you going to pull me up or not?" said Amera eventually, after thinking her makeup must be melting off from the heat.

Draco pulled her up, and smiled at her, holding her hands in his.

"I had no idea you could tango." said Draco.

"You didn't give me a chance to answer."

Amera was on the point of shouting at him, but then she heard a faint giggling behind her. She turned her head, and saw Tashia standing next to Kevin, pointing above Amera's head. Amera looked up, and there was a fairy holding mistletoe above her head. Draco seemed to notice this too, and soon looked back at Amera.

"Seems the fairies like you."

Amera blushed as profusely as a radish, and thanked Merlin again that she plastered on so much makeup. The fairy was still hovering above her, and she saw her mother and Narcissa watching her over their shoulders. Draco would have to kiss her, even if it was just for them, and the fact that Draco was still holding her hands was making things worse.

"Come on. You have to kiss me."

Draco didn't need telling twice, and looked over at his mother and Aurora.

"Is this for them too?" he asked.

Amera nodded and closed her eyes expectantly. She leant forward for Draco to kiss her, and felt something warm on her cheek. She opened her eyes, and looked at Draco who smiled back at her.

"Made them happy." said Draco, nodding over his shoulder.

Amera looked up, and surely enough, Aurora and Narcissa were almost having a fit from glee. Amera curtsied for Draco, and made her way for the edge of the dance floor.

"Amera…"

Amera stopped and turned around, and saw Draco walking for her.

"Listen, I'm sorry I've been such a jerk at school. Let's be friends again, and I won't do anything to upset you."

Amera thought about this for a while, and came up with some conditions for this truce.

"Don't bully first years. That includes jinxing. And no jinxing me."

Draco nodded, and Amera smiled.

"Good. Then we're friends again."

Draco leant forward and pulled Amera into a hug, and soon let go.

"I'll see you at school." said Draco, and Amera went to her mother who was calling for her so they could go home.


	22. Touch::Caught

Amera was walking alone to Demonology from lunch; Tashia had probably gotten there early because Amera went to the bathroom to clean tart out her hair. Someone had jinxed her in the Great Hall during lunch and sent a whole treacle tart straight at her head. Amera had her leather bag slung over her shoulder, carrying the many books from Arithmancy. She heard foul cackling coming up the corridor from the opposite direction. She heard a few voices laughing at one loud singular voice.

"Classic, wasn't it?"

She knew that voice all too well, the voice of Draco Malfoy. He had ignored her since his family's Christmas Ball, at which he called a truce for the rest of the year, but that didn't work. The only time he spoke to her now was for a few snide remarks and jinxing. Amera held her head down and walked faster, and tried to get to the class before Draco came past.

"Well, well, well…look who got herself all cleaned up!" said Draco snidely.

Amera said nothing and walked right past them. She didn't turn to glance at them, but when she tripped over nothing, landing hard on the stone and her bag sliding along the corridor, she looked back at Draco from the floor and shot him a nasty look.

"Tripping on thin air, Genesse?" said Draco returning the look and laughing.

The girl Amera knew as Pansy was clutching Draco's arm and laughing giddily, while two brutes behind him stood there stupidly.

"You three go ahead, I'll just teach miss Genesse here a little lesson…" He smiled at the three of them when they walked down the corridor and turned down a staircase, laughing loudly all the while.

"Are you OK?" Draco asked, his tone suddenly changed.

"Just bloody freaking brilliant thanks!" She shouted at him, pushing hard on the floor and standing up.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean…that wasn't…"

"Sure you didn't Draco. I was obviously so wrong about you, and so was your mother."

Draco looked shocked, and tried to say something nasty back, but he couldn't do it.

"You weren't wrong, it's just…I…"

"Trying to impress your girlfriend? I'm sure jewellery and candy would do a better job." said Amera dusting off her clothes and heading for her bag.

Draco grabbed Amera hard on the arm, stopping her dead in her tracks and making her turn around.

"I'm trying to explain something to you!" said Draco with a note of need in his voice.

"Then explain. I'm late for class."

Draco opened his mouth and closed again, but he kept a grip on Amera's arm.

"One question Draco, are you only like that around your _friends_, or were you only nice to me because your mother told you to be?"

Draco couldn't answer, and he couldn't explain either. He didn't want Amera to leave yet, he had so much to tell her.

"I have to go Draco." said Amera pulling her arm violently out of his grip.

She went for her bag again and only got about five feet away from him when he ran up to her and grabbed her arm again. Amera turned around and Draco immediately pulled her right up to him. He pulled her face right up to his and kissed her on the lips. Amera's eyes went wide and pulled out almost instantly.

"What are you…?"

Draco leant his forehead against Amera's and kissed her again, locking their lips tightly. Amera's eyes were still wide, looking at Draco in surprise. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer and tighter. Amera felt like she had to kiss him back, but she didn't want to…then she locked her arms around his neck and kissed him back, finally closing her eyes. She let one hand down and put it around Draco's back, holding him as tightly as he did her; and the other behind his head, pulling him into a deeper kiss. Draco's tongue slid into her mouth, and gently ventured around her mouth. Amera stuck one hand up the back of Draco's shirt, felling his warm skin on his toned back. Draco's hand caressed Amera's supple legs, and then ran his hand up under her shirt on her soft skin…

"Excuse me! What ARE you two doing here?"

Someone had just come around the corner and spotted them, by the sounds of it, it was a woman.

"Just because your girlfriend hasn't got such fantastic legs, doesn't mean you can touch mine!" Amera snapped suddenly, slapping Draco's hand away from her back.

"Please! You know that the only reason I did that is so that you could get some action for once!" Draco snapped back just as quickly.

"STOP IT NOW! Both of you!" Amera turned around to see Professor McGonagall looking at her sternly.

"Explain yourselves now!" said Professor McGonagall.

"I did nothing Professor, it was him!"

"What…I…"

"STOP! Fifteen points from Slytherin and Gryffindor. Hopefully next time you'll control yourself and save it for after school hours." Professor McGonagall looked down at Amera.

"Aren't you supposed to be at Demonology?"

"Yes ma'am…"

"Then off you go…" said McGonagall again.

Amera started off hurriedly, and picked up her bag, then turned back to look at Draco. He looked so innocent, standing there looking back at her. She smiled and carried on walking, turning into the next class for Demonology.


	23. Hermes::Message

Dinner was Shepard's pie and pumpkin juice, as appetizing as it was, Amera didn't feel like eating.

"What's wrong?" Tashia asked.

"Nothing…just thinking."

Amera shuffled her food around with her fork, still thinking about Draco. She looked up towards the Slytherin table, where Draco was sitting. Pansy was hanging off him again, and Draco was attempting to eat his pie.

"Will you stop hanging on me like a monkey, Pansy?" Draco yelled at her and stood up the second he saw Amera looking at him.

Half of the Great Hall turned around to look who the outburst was from.

"Drakie? What's wrong?" Amera heard Pansy say worriedly.

"Nothing! Dammit, woman!" Draco walked out of the Great Hall fast, avoiding most of the stares being thrown his way.

"I seriously think Draco has got a split personality…" said Tashia staring after him.

Amera said nothing, and just nodded. She didn't know if she could tell Tashia what had happened before Demonology, and she wasn't sure that Draco wanted anyone else to know.

"Care to tell me what you're thinking about?" Tashia asked again, snapping her fingers in front of Amera.

"Uh…oh uhm, no, it's ok. Listen I'm not hungry, I'll just go back to the common room." Amera left the Great Hall quickly, and went to find Draco.

As she closed the doors, she saw Draco walking down the corridor. He had his hands in his pockets and was kicking at the stone floor. She wanted to say something to him, but she couldn't put it into words.

"I'll owl him. Right now."

Amera ran down the opposite corridor, and turned up the spiral stair leading to the owlery. She hoped Hermes was there. He seemed to go out a lot lately, and Amera didn't know why. She ran up the stairs, and looked amongst the school owls and saw Hermes sitting way up on the top rafters.

"Hermes! Come down here!" Amera shouted.

Hermes clicked his beak at her, and flew down onto her shoulder. He clicked his beak at her again close to her ear, and she spoke to him.

"Want to take a letter to someone for me?"

Hermes clicked his beak again, and nibbled on Amera's ear.

"Ok ok. Let me just write it."

Amera took out her wand, conjured some parchment, a quill and a pot of ink. She wrote the letter quickly and tied it to Hermes" leg with a piece of conjured string.

"Ok it's not the best, but if you hurry, you might get there before he's in his common room."

Hermes flew away quickly, and out the window into the dark night. But Draco was already in his common room, and sitting on the leather couch by the fire. There was no one else there, and there was complete silence.

"I was so stupid…stupid…how could I have done that?" he mumbled angrily and threw his wand in the fireplace, only to have it jump right out again.

"Scared of fire as well?" he muttered.

He sighed loudly, and closed his eyes moodily. He heard a tapping noise, and looked up to see an owl at one of the closed windows. He waved his wand without looking and almost knocked the owl off the windowsill in the process. The owl flew in and landed on the couch arm, looking at Draco.

"Who are you from?" he said, looking at the piece of parchment on its leg.

The owl snapped at him and he took the note. He didn't recognise the handwriting, and it was folded into an origami envelope.

"Strange…"

He unfolded it quickly, and read it through:

_Draco_

_I'm sorry for the things I said, not everything was true. But you have to prove me wrong on the others first before I believe otherwise._

_Amera_

Draco saw the owl was still sitting on the couch arm, still as a statue, staring at Draco with his big orange eyes.

"Must I reply now?"

The owl blinked, and Draco took that as a yes. He scrambled over to a table, and rummaged through some person's bag for a quill and ink. He whipped out a quill, and wrote on the back of Amera's note.

_Amera_

_Don't be sorry. I should be sorry. You're the only one who ever tells me off, and I don't mind. I hope I can change your mind on the other things as well._

_Meet me at the Black Lake on Friday evening at nine, and we'll talk then. _

_Draco_

Draco folded the parchment along the same lines and tied it back to the owl"s leg. He picked it up and threw it into the air. It flew once around the common room in apparent joy, and flew back out the same window. Draco smiled and sat back down, and hoped everything would change between them. No fuss about what Pansy did to her that day, or their first day of school. It would be perfect, he hoped.


	24. Trouble::Hospital

Amera was standing in the bathroom, wiping tree sap off her face after Herbology. They were dealing with Swiping Vines the last lesson and one thought it would be funny to lob a gooey ball at Amera's face from across the room. It was Hannah Abbot's Swiping Vine that threw the gummy stuff, and she was very quick to apologise to and try and clean it with her wand, only to have it whacked from her hand by a vine. Professor Sprout sent Amera to the bathroom to wash it off, since the Swiping Vines were very skittish around wands, as Hannah found out. Amera had done as she was told, so she went to the bathroom to wash it off. She was splattered with the stuff, and could only see out one eye, as the other one was plastered shut by the goo. Now she was standing in front of the mirror, pulling the last of it out of her hair. It only came off with water, from that it turned to a jelly that could be wiped off. Amera dried her robes and hair with her wand, and put it back in her robes pocket.

"Damn vines…I seem to be getting really dirty deals lately." Amera smiled.

Nothing could've got her down now that she knew Draco liked her, and she was meeting him at the Black Lake tonight. Amera turned around and walked for the door, only to have it opened before she reached it. The face on the other side was a very familiar one, and one Amera didn't prefer to see. Pansy Parkinson was standing in front of her, smirking evilly.

"Nice to meet you here, Genesse." She smiled and closed the door behind her.

"The pleasure is mine Pansy." said Amera sarcastically.

"But if you'll excuse me, I should be getting back to class." Amera walked around Pansy, but Pansy stood in front of her.

Amera knew what she was planning to do, but just smiled down at her, as she was about three inches shorter.

"Really Pansy, I don't have time for you right now. But maybe next week we can get together and have tea." Amera laughed and tried again to step around her, but Pansy blocked her way again.

"Didn't you learn last time?" Amera asked.

Pansy smiled, and took out her wand. Amera reached for her wand in her robes pocket, but it wasn't there. Amera looked up and saw it materialise in Pansy's hand.

"What to do with it…" Pansy laughed and threatened to snap it.

Amera walked forward, to get her wand, but Pansy pointed her wand at Amera.

"I wouldn't break it. How cruel." Pansy laughed and threw it behind her, and it slid across the floor till it hit the wall.

"Now if you can get past me and get your wand, then maybe you can keep Draco."

Amera almost lunged for her wand, but stopped. She turned back to Pansy, with an open mouth.

"What…where do you come up with that?" said Amera as quickly as she thought up the story.

"Please don't even make as if you don't know what I'm talking about." Pansy was still holding her wand aimed at Amera.

Amera tried her best to keep an innocent, unbelieving face, but it wasn't working on Pansy.

"I saw everything. In the corridor. Professor McGonagall busted you two, and you blamed it on Draco. Point is, Draco hasn't even looked at me since. It's your entire fault."

Amera clicked all of a sudden. She must've seen it. She stayed right at the edge of that corridor and watched everything. Pansy didn't look happy, now that she knew Amera was remembering.

"_Astapion_!"

A glowing red spark hit Amera right in her chest, but nothing happened.

"Is that all you got?" Amera laughed.

"Oh you wait. I give you ten, nine, eight…"

Amera realised that it was no ordinary jinx that Pansy just hit her with; she knew it wasn't a blowout either. Amera ran past Pansy, grabbed up her wand and ran out the door, towards the nearest class.

"Five, four…" Pansy was shouting at her as she ran down the corridor.

Amera saw Hermione coming up the corridor, and knew she came looking for her. Amera was counting where Pansy left off. Hermione started running towards Amera, but didn't reach her in time. Amera's vision was blurring, and tunnelling. Amera was slowing down, involuntarily, and stopped.

"Pansy…" she said just before everything went black.

Hermione just reached Amera before she hit the ground. Hermione almost dived under Amera to catch her, and looked around. Pansy was nowhere, and Hermione couldn't take Amera away without anyone's help. Hermione looked down at Amera, who was steadily turning a greyish colour. She was going cold and her breathing slowed down severely. Professor Flitwick's class was just down the corridor, so Hermione took out her wand and aimed a charm at the door. The tiny Professor Flitwick came out the door, ready to shout at whoever did it, but when he saw Hermione and Amera down the corridor, and Amera collapsed in Hermione's arms, he immediately looked inside and called out two boys from his seventh year Slytherin class. The two boys followed Professor Flitwick to Hermione and Amera, and Professor Flitwick conjured a backboard for the boys to carry Amera to the hospital wing. Hermione was left in the corridor, watching the two boys carry Amera to the hospital wing. She ran back outside to Herbology, and ran back to Greenhouse five. Professor Sprout looked at Hermione, as to ask where her where Amera was.

"Professor, Amera is in the hospital wing."

Harry, Ron and Tashia stopped wrestling with their vines the second they heard the news.

"But…what happened, Hermione?" Harry asked immediately.

"I don't know. I just saw her running towards me; the last thing she said was Pansy. Professor Flitwick found us and…she went grey and cold…she wasn't breathing when they…"

Tashia had a dawning look on her face, and she knew exactly what had happened. Amera had told her what had happened with her and Draco, and Pansy must've found out.

"Tashia! Where are you going?" Professor Sprout shouted.

But Tashia was already out the door, sprinting across the vegetable patch. Pansy was going to pay, whenever she found her.


	25. Punishment::Oblivious

It was already late and even supper had already started. Since Herbology, there was no sign of Tashia. She had run out the door, and hadn't surfaced since. The news of what had happened to Amera had already got through the school, and in every version Pansy was to blame, even though she denied it all with a story that she was in the fourth floor bathroom. The Great Hall was filling up, and Pansy was sitting at the Slytherin table, with no sign of Draco near her.

"I wonder why Pansy hurt Amera? Do you think Tashia is going to do anything bad to her?" Ron asked.

Harry and Hermione watched her, and it seemed that she had not yet been reprimanded for her actions yet, as there was no proof she did it.

"Tashia might look friendly, but she has got one hell of a temper." said Harry, poking his food with a fork.

None of them had been let in to see Amera yet, and they wondered why. If they had only known what had happened to her, then they wouldn't be so anxious.

They heard a bang and turned around, to see Tashia standing at the Great Hall doors. She looked angry and stomped over to the Slytherin table, right up to behind Pansy. She was talking to one of her Slytherin friends when the table fell silent around her; she turned around and saw Tashia standing behind her.

"Hello Pansy."

Pansy got up and jumped over the bench, and started running towards the staff table. But Tashia leant forward before Pansy was too far away and grabbed her by the back of her robes.

"If you're not guilty like you keep on saying, then why run?" Tashia pulled Pansy back and made her turn around.

"I didn't…"

Before Pansy could even finish her last word, there was a gush of blood and a scream. Pansy was lying on the floor, clutching her nose and wailing. Tashia was standing over her, with a bloody fist, and then delved into her robes. Teachers started coming down the walkway, and Tashia whipped out her wand.

"I know exactly what spell you used on her…" Tashia looked up to the teachers, who were now jogging towards her.

"_Astapion!"_

Before her words were even out, a hand grabbed her and threw her hand up, sending the curse at the ceiling. The ceiling turned black, and then hail started falling down towards the students. Another jinx was sent up, returning the ceiling back to normal. Tashia turned around, and saw Professor McGonagall holding her hand, with her own wand out.

"What in the world was that about?" Professor McGonagall half shouted at her.

"She ran professor! It was HER! SHE DID IT!" Tashia shouted.

Professor McGonagall looked down at her, and pushed her glasses higher up onto her nose.

"You go straight to my office. I'll be there shortly."

Tashia looked at Pansy, having her nose repaired by Professor Snape, and turned to leave. She walked all the way to Professor McGonagall's office, and opened the door. There was a fire going in the grate, and yet it was so cold in her office. Tashia shivered and sat down in one of the empty chairs in front of the desk. As soon as she sat, the room warmed up and she heard the door close. She turned to see Professor McGonagall standing at the door, expressionless.

"Where did you learn that curse?" McGonagall asked.

Tashia turned in her chair, and stared at the opposite wall.

"I…uhm…read it somewhere."

She heard Professor McGonagall move around the office, and stopped right next to her.

"You know as well as I that spell isn't in any book. It's an old curse, one that's only passed down by hearsay, and one students shouldn't be using."

"Professor! Pansy used it! I know what it does, and that is what happened to Amera!"

"And you know this how?"

"Hermione said she went cold and grey, and stopped breathing. That's a few things what it does."

Professor McGonagall sat down in front of Tashia, and conjured a plate of sandwiches.

"Eat something. I'll let you off, and investigate your accusations. But you are not to go back to the Great Hall tonight or tell anyone what that curse does. Understood?"

Tashia nodded, but at the same time she wanted to tell everyone to use that jinx on Pansy.

"Good. Now eat and I will go back to the Great Hall. Goodnight Tashia."

Professor McGonagall left, leaving Tashia to eat some of the sandwiches on the silver platter.

"That was not all Pansy deserved." Tashia thought angrily and took a sandwich.

Draco was sitting next to the Black Lake, where he had been since half past eight. He had missed dinner, and hadn't spoken to anyone the whole day, because he was thinking about what he was going to say to Amera. It was now half past nine, and he had been waiting for an hour. He paced under the tree where he first realised he liked Amera, and thought clearly about what he was going to say.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk all the time, no, I'm nice to her out of school. "I'm sorry that I'm so horrible to you at school. Maybe…"

Draco stopped immediately when heard someone running down the lawns shouting for him.

"What are you going around shouting like a prat for?" Draco shouted when the person stopped next to him.

"I'm not shouting like a prat. I just thought you might like to know before you spend the whole night waiting for her."

Draco went wide-eyed, and put on a straight face.

"What in the world are you talking about? I'm only getting some fresh air."

"Oh please, fool some other _prat_."

The boy looked up, and Draco saw it was Justin, the only person he told about him and Amera so he could back off from her.

"Wait for her? What do you mean?" Draco asked, all of a sudden going into a cold sweat.

"She's not coming anytime soon…"

"What do you mean?" Draco fumed, and grabbed Justin by his shirt, almost throttling him.

"Haven't you heard? Pansy got to her. She's in the hospital wing."

Draco dropped Justin, and stood still.

"Can I go…see her? What did Pansy do to her?" Draco asked, almost frozen with cold shock.

"I don't know about seeing her, but Pansy used some old Dark Magic on her. I took her to the hospital wing during Charms."

Draco stood frozen, he couldn't move. How could he have been so reckless? He should've been more careful and not so spontaneous. Pansy was going to learn the hard way for her actions.

"And what is Professor Snape doing about this?" Draco asked.

"Nothing as far as I know. He says no one can prove it."

Draco snapped. Not even Snape could pretend to be so blind to any Slytherin's fault.

"What? Does he just think Amera jinxed herself? That stupid git!"

Draco stormed off, straight towards Snape's office. No one could possibly be so stupid. Pansy had done this before, and everyone knew it, even Snape. He went straight to the dungeons, to Snape's office and banged on the door.

"Professor!" he shouted while banging on the door.

Snape whipped the door open, and looked at Draco.

"Yes…"

"You're letting Pansy get away with this? You know very well that she has done this before, but this…you can't let her off so easily, even if she is Slytherin!" Draco shouted his last words, and yet at the same time he felt like he couldn't shout at Snape enough.

"What _are_ you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about! The whole school is talking about it! She did it and you can't deny it!"

Snape didn't reply, just looked down at Draco and smiled.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had feelings for that Genesse girl." said Snape with a curled lip.

"And what if I do? You can't change that, and neither can Pansy!"

Snape smiled again, looking down at Draco.

"You're falling for a Gryffindor?"

"I don't care! She's the best damn thing that's ever happened to me! I don't care if she's Gryffindor, it's got nothing to do with the way I feel about her!"

Snape looked as if he had just been petrified. He stood still, hand still on his door handle.

"Here. Give this to Madam Pomfrey…" Snape handed Draco a small bottle with glowing yellow liquid.

"And this note."

Draco took the envelope, and the bottle, and looked at Professor Snape.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"I was going to walk there myself, but you're just the perfect person to send for the errand. Goodnight Draco."

Snape closed his door, and left Draco in the doorway. He was surprised that Snape just did that for him, and was so nice.


	26. Visits::Memories

Draco went on his way, back to the upper floors and then to the hospital wing. He stood in front of the doors, and grabbed the knocker. He heard footsteps and then the door opened.

"What are you here for?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Professor…uhm…Snape sent me. He said I must give you these…"

He handed her the bottle of glowing yellow liquid, and the envelope. She tore open the envelope and stashed the bottle into her apron.

"Professor Snape says you are very close to this girl and you wish to see her. Are you sure?"

Draco was surprised that Madam Pomfrey didn't laugh at him from his expression. He didn't say anything to Snape about wanting to see Amera, but he wasn't going to argue the point.

"Yes…if I may."

"Be prepared my boy. It's been a while since I've seen a jinx like this…"

Draco swallowed hard, and braced himself. Madam Pomfrey went behind the curtain, and Draco heard the cork pop out the bottle. Madam Pomfrey came out, and shook her head.

"You can go in, but she won't hear anything you say until she comes to."

Draco nodded, and Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtain. Draco's jaw fell open, and he almost immediately shouted.

"It's normal with that jinx. Give it about a week and she'll look a little better."

Draco edged closer to her bed and picked up Amera's hand. He didn't feel if he could close his hand around hers, so he just laid her hand over his. She looked terrible and felt cold, almost dead if he didn't know she was still alive. Her skin turned slate grey, her face hollowed out and every other inch of muscle and fat was gone. It was only skin pulled over bone. Behind her closed eyes, he could see her eyes had also collapsed.

"She looks…"

"Mummified. It's the jinx."

Draco swallowed hard again, and looked up at her drip. The yellow liquid was put in her drip, and was now flowing into her dead grey skin.

"When will she wake up?" Draco asked, not looking up but only staring at Amera.

"In about two days time. Maybe around Monday she should be able to get visitors."

Draco watched the yellow liquid flow into her skin. The small patch of skin around the needle was normal, even had colour. Draco smiled, and watched her, as if she would wake up any second.

"You might as well go back to your common room young man, she'll be here a long time."

Draco hesitated, he wanted to be there, but he knew there was nothing he could do.

"Goodnight madam Pomfrey. And thank you." Draco turned and left, hoping the next time he would be there, she would be awake.

Draco went straight to his room, because he knew exactly what he would do to Pansy if he saw her. He lay down on his bed, and he felt alone. He felt helpless, absolutely useless. He knew that there was nothing he could do, but what could he do to put himself at ease? He had no idea what Pansy had done, but there was no way that she would stop him from seeing Amera. Draco looked up at the canopy of his bed, and thought back to when he saw Amera walk in the door after nearly seven years of not seeing her. He knew it was her deep down, but somehow he just couldn't accept it. He remembered just the two of them sitting in the home theatre, talking about the time gone between them…

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if you hadn't left?" Draco asked Amera.

"Sometimes…I wonder what school I would've gone to, if you and I would've still been friends, never met the people I have…I just wish sometimes everything was just that little bit different. I'd rather not change anything about the past, everything happens to teach us something…"

"But you're back. And we can still be friends, that is, if you think I haven't changed too much."

Amera laughed, and her wide blue eyes caught the light from the flat screen television.

"Maybe…if you haven't changed too much." Amera laughed again, Draco laughed with her.

Draco snapped out of his daydreaming by a loud sound emitting from the common room. It sounded like a loud bang and people screaming, and then laughing. Draco went downstairs, but not in a hurry, to see what had happened. Pansy was sitting in a chair, with a half-exploded package in her lap, covered in black tar. Draco smiled, it was probably one of the Gryffindors that did it, and for once he didn't care. He turned to go back up the stairs when Pansy shouted at him.

"Drakie! Didn't you see what happened?"

Draco turned his head slightly, and looked over his shoulder.

"Yes…and?"

Pansy ran over to him and threw herself at him, covered in the tarry substance.

"It's those Gryffindors! They've started doing this…"

Before she could finish, Draco pulled himself away and backed up a few stairs.

"Does it look like I care? You got what you deserve for once; I think they went a little easy on you."

Pansy's mouth hung open, with tears welling into her eyes. She collapsed right there on the floor in front of Draco, and he just went back up the stairs. He shook his head as he walked, he couldn't believe the audacity of Pansy, and after all she had done. He pushed his door open with force, hardly pausing to close it again. The door slammed shut with a bang. He lay on his bed, staring at the canopy again. His eyes slowly started getting heavier, and before he knew it, he was asleep.


	27. Nightmares::Sketches

"Hey Draco!" Someone shouted behind him.

Draco was walking down one of the school passages, past some classrooms he could barely remember. He spun around and saw a vaguely familiar face running towards him.

"Amera?" he asked, standing as still as he could.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Amera shouldn't be here, but he didn't care right now. All he wanted was to see her, feel her arms around him. He smiled as she came closer to him.

"I missed you Draco!" Amera said, running into his arms and hugging him.

"I missed you too…" he said, hugging her back; but again, he knew he had just seen her earlier.

He relished feeling her arms around him, pulling him back together as if he'd been broken beyond repair.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day!" Amera said from the grasp of his arms.

"I've been right here, waiting for you." He replied, but again he knew this wasn't making sense somewhere in the back of his head.

Amera leaned back out of his hug, looking him in the eyes.

"You have no idea what she did to me…" Amera said, but her voice faded fast.

Draco looked into her eyes, and something started happening to them. They started going dull, washed out grey. He took a step back, and looked at her face. It started going hollow, the cheekbones and jaw were sticking out horribly; her face was steadily turning grey.

"What's wrong Draco?" she asked; her voice barely coming through.

Her arms and legs started becoming skinnier, going grey. Draco stood further back; he didn't know what to do. He looked around to the one of the classrooms, about to call for help, when he heard a soft crash behind him. He looked back to Amera, on the floor, crumbled into a heap. He went for her, but he couldn't move. Every step he tried to take forward, he slid ten backwards. He wanted to shout, but suddenly his voice escaped him and his throat started closing up. He heard screaming, somewhere in the distance…

Draco shot up out of his bed, screaming at the top of his lungs. He stopped, trying to catch his breath but it felt like he had an icy cold pair of hands around his throat. He looked around his room, no one was there yet. He could still hear a commotion down stairs. He tried to breathe; all he could manage was short breaths. He looked at his watch; it was barely an hour since he lay down. He didn't want to sleep again; he didn't want to have the same, or another, nightmare of Amera. He took as deep a breath as could manage; his head started reeling from the lack of oxygen. He placed his head on his pillow, trying to reason with himself that in a week she would be better and back to normal.

"I hope Amera will break this news of who did this to her to someone as soon as she wakes up."

Monday came slowly for everyone that knew Amera. They wanted to go see her so badly that throughout the day it was all they could talk about. The great hall was filling up for lunch, with a few whispers going around.

"I hope she's alright today, madam Pomfrey won't allow any visitors." A fourth year Ravenclaw, whom Amera was tutoring in Transfiguration, said to the rest of her friends.

Hermione walked in the door, as calmly as she could possibly muster, and sat next to Ron, Harry and Tashia. They immediately knew that she was the bearer of good news when they saw the huge grin on her face.

"Spill it Hermione." Ron said.

"We can go see her today! And guess what? I've got off now, and so do you guys!" Hermione smiled, looking like the corners of her mouth would fall of the edge of her face.

"Really? As in now? Today?" the three of them asked simultaneously.

"Yes! So if you guys want to get her something, I suggest you go to fetch it now."

The four of them stood up, ready to go fetch a gift, if they could manage to find one. Ron and Harry managed to get some sweets form their last Hogsmeade visit, and Hermione found some photos that never made it to the scrap book that she had put together for Amera and Tashia for Christmas. Tashia found Amera's bathrobe and pyjamas, along with a sketch book and charcoal.

"Amera loves to draw when she's bored." Tashia explained to Hermione when she didn't understand Tashia's choice of gifts.

They all went to the hospital wing, and knocked on the huge door. Madam Pomfrey answered, when she saw who it was, she immediately let them in.

"I must warn you though; she doesn't entirely look like herself yet." Madam Pomfrey fretted before opening the curtain.

"We don't care. We're still her friends." Harry said; a note of defiance in his voice.

Madam Pomfrey hesitated for a moment, and then they all heard her voice, albeit a little weak.

"Is that Harry, madam Pomfrey?" she asked from behind the closed curtain.

"It's all of us Amera!" Hermione said.

They could see a ghostly silhouette behind the semi-transparent curtain. Madam Pomfrey didn't bother any longer, and pulled the curtain open slowly. They all tried their best not to gasp, but none of them got it right except Hermione.

"Hey guys…" she smiled.

Hermione immediately went to sit on the edge of her bed, smiling all the while.

"We're so glad we finally got to come see you." Hermione said.

Tashia, Harry and Ron still hadn't done or said anything, they were still in shock. It was definitely Amera sitting in front of them, but they couldn't get past how she looked. Her skin was a bluish grey, her cheeks were hollowed out, her arms and legs were bone thin. The whole of her eyes were a glowing yellow, like the liquid that was in the drip in her arm. The only part of her that still looked like her was her golden hair, which looked a little dull, and her smile that still stood bright white against the grey of her skin. The hand that the drip was in looked almost normal, the patch of skin around the needle was completely normal.

"Are you guys just going to stand there?" Amera asked, staring at them with her huge yellow eyes.

"No, of course not." Tashia said, putting the pyjamas and bathrobe next to her bed, and the sketch book and charcoal on the table at the foot of her bed.

"Can I give you a hug?" Tashia asked cautiously, standing right next to Amera.

"Of course you can. Just don't squeeze too hard, I might break." Amera joked.

Tashia bent down over Amera and hugged her, trying her best not the cry on her.

"You had no idea how worried I was. I still don't know what to say to Aurora." Tashia said, standing back and allowing a tear to fall.

Ron and Harry walked up to her as well, managing to give her a soft hug. Ron didn't linger, but Harry tried to hug her as long as possibly could.

"Harry, really, I'm not going to fall apart…" Amber said over his shoulder.

Harry eventually pulled back, a small smile on his face. Hermione was still sitting on the edge of her bed, not sure what to say to her.

"So, how much longer do you think you're going to be here?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I'll be out of here tomorrow if madam Pomfrey allows me, which I know she won't."

Madam Pomfrey looked through the window of her office, to the small crowd around Amera's bed. She bustled over, making a fuss over Amera and pushing Hermione off the bed. Madam Pomfrey replaced the drip, checked her over once again and went back to her office.

"See what I mean? She's not going to let go of me easily." Amera joked, pulling the table with her sketch pad closer.

Amera started drawing, absent minded, while looking at the others. She thought she was doodling, but when Hermione looked at the sketch pad, the obvious reaction made it clear she wasn't.

"Amera, what on earth are you drawing?" Hermione asked.

Amera watched the others" faces before looking down. She had no idea what it was she had drawn, but it looked like a dream, a far away reality. There were five blocks in the page, each one with a different scene.

"I think it was a dream I had, or…uh…" Amera stopped halfway.

Memories started to flood her head, and she realised that it wasn't a dream, but the reason why she was in the hospital wing. The first block was herself, standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror. The second was Pansy blocking her in the doorway. The third was Pansy throwing her wand across the room. The fourth was the jinx. The fifth was Hermione and running down the hallway towards her. Amera closed her eyes forcefully and clapped one hand over them. Hermione picked up the sketchpad and looked carefully at the blocks, realising what it was.

"This last one is me… I think this is what happened to Amera."

The boys looked at the drawing pad as well, and tried to make sense of it all. It was like a cartoon or story board. It was very clear what had happened.

"Amera? We have to show this to Dumbledore…" Tashia said quickly after looking at it.

Amera shook her head, crying. Madam Pomfrey scuffled over and chased them away.

"She needs her rest. You can come back later." Madam Pomfrey pushed them towards the door, forcing them to leave. Hermione grabbed the drawing pad before leaving; they had to show this to Dumbledore.


	28. Strange::Break

At eight o' clock, after dinner, Draco somehow managed to get away from his friends and went to the hospital wing. They wouldn't let him go very easily.

"Come on Draco, where are you going?" Blaise asked.

"None of your business, alright?"

"Ooh getting defensive, are we?" Blaise joked before leaving Draco. Draco shook his head; he knew he would never live this down if it ever got out. Draco wished that the houses didn't share this horrible rivalry they had, it would make life a whole lot easier. He snuck through the hallways, making sure no one saw him heading towards the hospital wing. He got there, and the doors were open. A few third year Gryffindors were coming out after visiting Amera. He quickly hid behind a wall until they passed. He heard their voices fade and then went into the hospital wing, closing the doors behind him.

"Draco?"

Draco spun around, Amera was awake, sitting upright in her bed and looking at him. He gasped when he saw her, but kept his cool. At least she looked a little better than she did when he last saw her, but she looked frightening.

"Amera…" he managed a smile.

"I know, I look quite scary don't I?"

Draco laughed once and then went to her bedside. He saw a whole bunch of stuff that had been brought to her by friends. Flowers, candy, knick-knacks…

"Have you had any sleep lately?" Amera asked, with her haunting yellow eyes on him.

Draco looked up at her, it was probably apparent that he'd been missing out on weeks of sleep. The impossible task that had been given to him, which he was on the verge of completing…

"Draco?" Amera asked again.

"What? Sorry…uhm…yeah I haven't had much sleep, I've been worrying too much."

"Not about me have you?"

"Yeah, amongst other things."

Amera knew that was the end of that conversation, and didn't carry on with it after that.

"Madam Pomfrey says I'll be out in two days. Apparently I'll look a lot better by tomorrow. After I get my new drip, I'll heal a lot faster."

Draco smiled, and nodded once. Draco was not really holding up his end of the conversation.

"Why did you come to visit if you're not going to talk to me?"

Draco snapped his had up and looked at her. She was still scary looking, and he really didn't like to see her like this.

"I needed the company."

"The company? I think you can do better than to sit here with a mummified girl." Amera joked, but Draco didn't smile.

"That was a joke Draco, you can laugh."

Draco smiled, and then stood up again.

"I'll come visit again tomorrow. I hope you feel better." Draco leant down slightly and took her hand, squeezing it gently before leaving. Amera watched him leave and then shook her head. He was acting really strange. Madam Pomfrey scuffled over to her, with a new potion for her drip. Amera smiled; at least this potion was glowing blue and not yellow.

"He seemed quite disturbed, didn't he?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Amera nodded. Since she was put in hospital, she had been thinking a lot about her and Draco. She knew that as long as they were at school, it would never work, it was impossible. She would break it off the next time he came to visit, it was best for him and her.

"Amera's getting out today! Today!" Tashia shouted as she ran into the Great hall. People looked at her as she ran past and jumped onto the bench besides Harry.

"Did you hear?" Tashia asked.

"Yeah, I heard all the way down the hall Tashia." Harry laughed.

"Madam Pomfrey is letting her out after lunch. She's well enough to walk now, and then tomorrow she can get back to school."

The bell rang suddenly and then Tashia shouted again.

"Let's go fetch her, please!" She begged of the three of them. Hermione and Ron looked at each other and gave in.

"She's going to need help to carry all that stuff anyway." Ron smiled.

Tashia squealed and ran out the Great hall again, not waiting for the rest of them to catch up.

"Has she got Fizzing Whizzbees stuck in her brain?" Ron asked.

"Wouldn't surprise me if she did." Harry laughed.

They all went to the hospital wing, to find Tashia standing outside the door. The doors were shut and she didn't look like she was planning to go in either.

"Why are you standing here waiting? You ran off so fast…" Hermione asked.

"She has a visitor, and I really don't want to disturb her right now."

The three of them frowned and heard voices inside, but they couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Draco, I've thought about this for the past week that I've been in here, and I know what I must do now, for your and my sake."

Draco's eyes went wider, every note in her voice gave warning for what she was about to do. Draco kept quiet and listened.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can see you, not in _that_ way."

Time suddenly stood still. Draco looked at Amera; her eyes glazed with a light blue colour all over, and tears building up in them.

"Why?" Was all Draco could manage.

"I don't want to do this every time, every time a jealous girl thinks she deserves you instead, attacks me, I end up in here, go out and do it all over again. I just can't. I'd rather live without seeing you at all and knowing we're safe rather than living in the shadows. I'm sorry; I can't do that to you." Amera said, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

"But you're willing to do _this_ to me?" Draco fumed.

"Please go Draco. I've said what I've wanted." Amera said, standing up suddenly.

"And what about what I want to say? Don't I get a chance to defend myself?"

Amera stood still and listened to him, nothing he could say would change her mind.

"She won't do it again, I'll make sure. She's a jealous girl, and I don't think that breaking it off with me is going to change that. We can't live by what other people want, otherwise no one would ever be happy."

"And what if she does do it again, not to me, but to you? I won't live with the chance that she might turn around and curse you too. I'd rather not see _this_ happen to you…" She said, gesturing to herself.

Draco stood still for a couple of seconds. He couldn't believe after all their troubles; she was going to give up.

"Fine. It's over."

Draco spun around and walked out the door, coming face to face with Harry and the rest. He was too upset to even say anything to them. He pushed past and walked down the stairs, leaving everyone staring after him.

"Draco was here? What for? If he dared even try anything…" Harry fumed, but Tashia looked at him and he calmed down.

They walked in and saw Amera standing next to her bed, folding her gown.

"Hey guys!" She said, and forced a smile on her face. Tashia looked at her face and saw that she had just been crying. She quickly hid it and hugged Tashia and Hermione.

"I'm so glad to be getting out of here! It's such a bore; I'd rather sit with a three foot Potions essay!" Amera smiled.

She hugged Ron, then Harry. Harry squeezed her as tight as he could and picked her up off of the ground. She started laughing really loudly.

"Harry, put me down!" She laughed again.

Harry put her down and smiled at her.

"What have you told Aurora?" He asked.

"I think Madam Pomfrey owled her. She sent me a letter this morning and some weird little box with another envelope. She said I should open it later, with Tashia."

Tashia smiled at Amera, it was so good to have her sister back.


	29. Explanation::Potions

Later that night, Amera and Tashia ran up the girls' dorm stairs, trying to get away from the crowd. Someone threw Amera a party, and it wasn't Hermione. The whole Gryffindor house was cramped into the common room, and soon the crowd had to move into the rooms. Amera and Tashia scrambled up the stairs, reaching their room before the crowd knew Amera was gone. She closed the door behind her and locked it. Tashia flopped down onto her bed and Amera went over to the full length mirror.

"I still look kinda washed out."

"Uh next week it'll be gone!" Tashia laughed.

Amera looked back at Tashia; she had apparently found some Firewhiskey. She went over to her trunk and found the letter that Aurora had sent her, along with the sealed envelope and the box.

"Hey, snap out of it. We still gotta read this letter…"

Tashia laughed and rolled off of her bed and onto the floor. She crawled over to Amera's bed and pulled herself up onto it.

"Read it to me, the letters are moving!" Tashia laughed, lying on her back.

"Tashia…I haven't even opened it yet…"

Tashia stifled a laugh and then sat up. Amera whipped out her wand and tapped her on the head.

"I was having fun!" Tashia said, frowning.

"Yeah and tomorrow you'll have a hangover, and I don't now the charm to fix that…" Amera lied.

"Spoil sport." Tashia pouted, moving closer to read the letter.

"Here hold the box." Amera said, handing Tashia the box. Amera ripped open the new envelope, and read the new letter. She recognised her mother's handwriting.

_Dearest Amera and Tashia. _

_This is a letter I hoped I would never have to write, but given the circumstances, I feel I have no choice. Almost fifteen years ago; your dad, Amera; and both your parents, Tashia; gave their lives for something that they had no control over. After the fall of Voldemort, his Deatheaters went on a rampage and found them, making you both lead a life you weren't meant to. Those marks on your backs were a terrible curse, and I think you have the right to know who was behind them, and after all these years, that is the only reason I had remained supposed friends with the Malfoy family…_

Amera and Tashia looked at one another. Was this going to change their entire lives?

…_It was Lucius Malfoy, the famed Deatheater that gave you those marks. I have only found this out recently, and am truly shocked. Narcissa has been a long time friend of mine, since before she married Lucius, and I am horrified that she had known this for so long. I am grateful that she told me, but I will no longer associate with her until she gives up her Deatheater ways. On a better note, I have luckily found a potion to cure those marks, and the curse that came with it. The curse was meant to suppress a wonderful gift that each of you were supposed to be born with. I thought that I would not present itself ever, until I found out it was the curse that suppressed it. In the box should be two potions, a green and orange one. The green is for you Amera, and the orange one is for Tashia. They will probably taste vile, but it will only last a minute. After about two weeks or so the marks will disappear totally, but your powers should become apparent within a day._

_I may not tell you what your powers will be, but when you figure them out, please let me know._

_All my love_

_Aurora_

Tashia and Amera looked at each other again, their mouths open. Lucius, Draco's dad, had done this to them willingly, to stop them from developing a special power. All the years that they were friends with the Malfoy family, was for the wrong reasons. They felt betrayed, they knew that Aurora had known Narcissa long before she had got married to Lucius, and felt horrible that Aurora had now lost a close friend because of Lucius.

"I'm so sorry Amera!" Tashia said immediately, looking at the shock an Amera's face.

"For?" Amera asked, still looking at the parchment.

"About Draco, I never thought that…"

"No matter, I broke it off this morning."

"Is that what happened?"

Amera nodded and grabbed the box from Tashia. She pulled the ribbon off and opened the box. Two triangular bottles fit side by side in the box, very dark in colour. She pulled out a bottle and held it against the light of chandelier.

"This is yours Tash."

Amera gave Tashia her bottle and took the other out of the box. The handle of their room door started moving, Hermione's voice spoke loudly from the other side.

"Amera? Tash? You guys in there? Open up!"

"Just a minute Hermione." Tashia shouted.

"You sure about this?" Tashia asked Amera softly, but Amera's cork was already out.

"Here's to whatever special gift we get." Amera whispered toasting Tashia with her potion bottle. Tashia popped her cork and they both downed the potion. They looked at each other for a second, there was no vile taste. Then it hit them in the back of their throats, and they started gagging.

"Amera! Tashia! Are you guys alright?" Hermione half shouted from the other side of the door. They could barely answer then the taste was gone as quickly as it hit them.

"Merlin! That was horrible!" Tashia choked one last time, Amera nodded and coughed at the same time. Tashia went to open the door, Hermione was staring at them sternly, but her eyes were red.

"What were you two doing?"

Amera looked closely at Hermione, she had been crying. Amera walked over to Hermione and looked at her.

"We just had a really strong shot of Firewhiskey, but what's wrong Hermione?"

Hermione looked Amera in the eye, her lips started trembling and she started crying again. Amera put her arms around Hermione's shoulder and led her to her bed.


	30. First::Magic

Amera and Tashia woke up later than the rest of the girls in their room, and they were running really late. Amera sprang out of bed and ran over to Tashia's bed, shaking her awake. Amera had such a splitting headache, she couldn't even think straight.

"Tashia, wake up we're gonna be late!"

Tashia rolled over and looked at her watch and jumped out of bed.

"Why didn't Hermione wake us up?" Tashia shouted while looking for her uniform.

"She was probably out early and left us to wake up by ourselves." Amera said, fastening her tie.

Amera looked under her bed for her bag, where she thought it would be since she was gone for a week. Luckily it was there, and she pulled it out and ran to the door.

"It's Potions first! We're so getting detention for this!" Amera said, running down the stairs, with Tashia close on her heels. They made it to the corridor leading to Potions just in time to see the first students go in.

"I forgot to brush my hair and teeth, damn!"

"Me too, don't worry, I'll jinx it just now." Amera said, catching her breath. They slowed down and fell in line behind Harry and Ron.

"Why are you guys so late?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"Hermione must've left early. We didn't hear her alarm go off." Tashia wheezed while clutching a stitch in her side.

"I think she's already inside, because we didn't see her at breakfast." Ron said.

"I hope so. Anyway, Tashia we need you to fill in for Katie in the match tomorrow. There's still no word when she'll be back." Harry added.

Tashia nodded, and Amera straightened out before walking in. Slughorn was waddling about, and suggesting some potions for students to try. Hermione was standing at her bench already, with her book out and cauldron ready. Amera and Tashia took their regular place next to her and got their cauldrons out. Professor Slughorn announced that they were having an open test, to see how far the students could push their abilities. Hermione looked through her book and settled for a love potion, trying to make small talk with Tashia and Amera.

"I'm sorry for not waking you guys up, it's just I didn't want to see…"

"It's alright Hermione, we made it on time."

Tashia looked at Amera strangely and then back at her cauldron and then back at Amera.

"What wrong Tashia?" Amera eventually asked.

"Uhm, I didn't see you take your wand out." Tashia said.

"Take my wand out for what?"

"To jinx your hair and teeth…"

"But I haven't."

"Then why is your hair and teeth perfect?"

Amera looked around her and no one else had their wand out. She picked up a metal square tin on her desk that had bezoars stored in it, and looked at her reflection. Sure enough, her teeth were white and sparkling, and her hair was plaited tightly.

"Amera…is something wrong?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"No, nothing's wrong…"

Amera turned around and looked at Tashia, looking at her ingredients to make EdenGro, and her hair was being straightened out and tied up. Amera shook her head, with her eyes tightly closed, and looked again.

"Thanks Amera." Tashia smiled, pointing to her hair.

"I didn't do anything…"

Professor Slughorn stepped up to her desk and looked at her array of ingredients. Amera's eyes went wide when she realised she hadn't fetched anything for the open test.

"Trying to make Felix Felicius are we?"

Amera's eyes went wide from shock when she heard what proposed potion she was to make. She looked down, and there were all the ingredients for the liquid luck. She hadn't even fetched any ingredients, and there they were. Hermione looked down at Amera's desk and frowned, she must've picked up on that fact as well.

"Uhm…yes sir."

"Set yourself quite a task there my girl. One of the most fickle potions to make."

Amera swallowed hard as Professor Slughorn carried on looking at the other choices students were making.

"EdenGro? What tree are you hoping to grow, Tashia?"

"I was thinking a hybrid sir, maybe peaches and blueberries."

Professor Slughorn smiled and went away. Tashia and Hermione looked at Amera, who was possibly paler than when she came out of hospital.

"Amera, are you alright? You look like a ghost walked through you." Hermione said.

"I didn't fetch these ingredients; I didn't fix up my hair or teeth. What's happening?"

"It's alright Amera, just do the test and then we have off, and so you can relax." Tashia said.

Amera nodded and got ready to make her potion, hoping she wouldn't fail dismally.


	31. Dumbledore::Sacrifice

Harry, Ron, Tashia and Amera were sitting in the common room, catching up with all the stuff that they had been missing. Hermione was at Arithmancy, and luckily she was.

"Wow Harry, that's a lot of pressure for a sixth year, I hope you don't burn out!" Amera joked.

Harry told them about the sessions he'd been having with Dumbledore, and Ron filled them in with the Lavender ordeal. Tashia and Amera both shook their heads.

"You imbecile Ron." Tashia laughed.

"I think you need to buy that book _Magical Love - No Spells attached_." Amera joked again.

Harry laughed at them all, but he could see something was bothering Amera.

"Or you could give him some of that first class Felix you made." Harry joked along with them.

Amera smiled, but she didn't laugh. Harry saw immediately that something happened in Potions that was bothering her. Ron and Tashia stopped laughing when they saw Amera's face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry asked, scooting next to Amera.

"I think I'm going crazy." Amera said shortly, Harry laughed but asked again.

"No seriously, what happened in Potions today?" Harry asked again.

"I…it was all so strange. Tash and I were late, and we forgot to brush our hair and teeth. I told her I'd fix it later, and then miraculously it happened by itself. Then Slughorn stepped up to my desk, and I didn't have any ingredients, then they were all on my desk. And then I brewed one of the best liquid luck potions Slughorn has supposedly ever seen."

"Yeah, you're having a great day, what's the problem?" Harry said.

Amera shot Tashia a look, and then Tashia's eyes went wider than humanly possible. Harry watched Amera and Tashia's face almost light up.

"Hey, what did you two do?" Ron said, also picking up on their expressions.

"Harry, do you know where Dumbledore's office is? I think I…we…need to go talk to him.

"Sure, I hope he's there."

Harry led them to Dumbledore's office, and went through all the possible candies he could think of for the password.

"Sugar spiders!" Harry said one last time in frustration.

The statue started moving and then the gargoyle met them at the bottom. Harry pushed them onto the steps and then they went up to the top. Dumbledore's office doors were open, and he was sitting behind his desk, with a slight smile on his face, like he was expecting them.

"Amera…Tashia, please come sit."

Amera and Tashia smiled and did as they were told. Harry and Ron stood at the door, awaiting an invitation.

"May they listen in on our conversation?" Dumbledore asked the girls, referring to Harry and Ron.

Amera didn't know how deep this conversation was going to go, but she felt comfortable enough around them and agreed for them to listen in. She nodded, and watched them take seats behind them.

"Sir…" Amera started, but he silenced her with his hand.

"I presume that this is about the letter that Aurora sent you?"

"Yes sir, and the…" Tashia started.

"Potions. Yes. I'm amazed it got past Filch since he's been checking the post. I presume Aurora told you everything?"

They nodded, and Dumbledore looked down at his desk, and at his blackened hand. He looked at the two girls in front of him. They were so young when they were cursed, they were never blessed with the wonderful gifts they were supposed to get, and now they were dropped into it, with the full blown force of power instead of graduating into them. He stood up and looked out of the window, contemplating the situation.

"Harry…Ron, please may we have the rest of the meeting alone? You may go back to your common room for the time being."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and obeyed. The stood silently and left. Dumbledore still stood facing the window, thinking over what to say.

"Sir?"

Dumbledore turned slightly and saw Amera about to get out of her chair. He waved her down and he sat back down at her desk.

"That night was…devastating…your father had powers just like yours Amera, got him in some trouble at times too. I had so hoped to see him teach you all the wonders of your gift. I was so thankful that your mother was not there, I would've hated to see you grow up as orphans…" Dumbledore stopped, thinking of the last orphan with such extraordinary powers.

"Aurora has been working on those potions for almost a month now. I'm glad to see they worked. She always was a whiz at potions."

Amera and Tashia looked at each other and nodded.

"Sir, what is it exactly that we can do?" Tashia asked.

"Well I thought Amera's was apparent. She is known as a Primer. She can cast magic, the most powerful, wordless, wandless magic. All types of magic, in many ways her power is exciting and dangerous. There is no law about her brand of magic, and so it is exclusively her own sense of right and wrong that keeps her from performing magic all the time. Now Tashia, I'm sure yours is from your mother's side. It got her into a lot of trouble as well. She was a Multimorphmagus. In many ways it is the same as a Metamorphmagus, but you can also turn into creatures, objects, anything you can think of. There are only three Multimorphmagi recoded, and I'm obligated to inform the ministry of the new found statuses of your powers."

Amera and Tashia looked at each other and smiled broadly, they weren't worried about being put on a register of unique powers, they just wanted to try them out.


	32. Quidditch::Exposure

"Are you sure you want to play Amera?"

"For the last time Harry, I'm fine."

"You still haven't told me what you and Dumbledore spoke about…"

"Later Harry, let's just get in with the game and after we win I'll tell you."

"And if we don't win?" Harry joked.

"No chance of that. They're just slimy Slytherins." Amera smiled.

They heard a whistle out on the pitch, and they walked out of the team room. They stood face to face with the Slytherins, Draco face to face with Harry. Amera slanted her eyes at Draco, and he slanted them right back. Amera shook her head, he was so ignorant.

"Clean match, understood?" Madam Hooch said, standing between the seekers. Harry nodded, but Draco was unmoving.

"On your brooms!" Madam Hooch called and they mounted their brooms and hovered above the field. She opened the trunk with the Quidditch gear and the two bludgers and snitch went flying in different directions. She picked up the quaffle, blew the whistle and threw it into the air. Ginny grabbed it first and immediately headed to the goal posts, Tashia and Amera following closely behind. Ginny tossed it to Amera, and Amera whacked it through the middle post. The Gryffindor crowd cheered, and Slytherin didn't take it too likely. Their keeper threw it into deep field, making sure only Slytherin got their hands on it. Ginny and Amera took the high field and Tashia went below. Ginny snatched it threw a mid-throw and dropped it below to Tashia. Tashia passed around and over the teams and dropped it back down to Ginny. Ginny threw it towards the hoops, but it was hit back in her direction. A Slytherin chaser got it and threw it towards Ron, but he blocked it with his head.

"Good way to use your head Ron!" Harry shouted at Ron, and Ron smiled.

Amera smiled and got back behind Ginny. Ginny dodged a bludger, and instead it went flying backwards towards Amera, who rolled over on her broom and the bludger hit the other Slytherin Beater.

Forty minutes in, and Slytherin was tied with Gryffindor, twenty each. The beaters were getting nasty, hitting bludgers more at Amera than the other chasers. She still dodged them, but it was affecting her possession of the quaffle.

"Keep in the game Amera!" Ginny shouted at her.

"I'm trying!" She shouted back.

Harry was darting overhead, and then disappeared over the stadium. Amera headed for the quaffle, heard commentary from above and saw a bludger heading her way. She ducked just in time, the bludger came so close to her back it ripped her robes, but Amera didn't notice it.

"Tashia!" Amera shouted. As Tashia looked up, the bludger hit her in her ribs and knocked her clear off her broom, sending her to the ground. The whistle blew, signalling that Gryffindor had got the snitch and won. But Tashia was falling, and was fifty foot from the ground. Amera cringed, but Tashia stopped in mid air, and gently floated to the ground, where Madam Pomfrey was awaiting. Amera sighed, thanking her lucky stars for her new gift. The crowd was cheering, and making sounds of relief when Tashia was safe. Amera landed, and ran to Tashia.

"Tash! Tash! Are you ok?"

Amera crouched over her, and saw the five or so broken ribs being repaired. Each time one healed, it made a sickly cracking sound.

"I'm fine." She winced.

"You're the worst liar in the world." Amera laughed. She was so close to crying, she was hardly paying attention to the deathly silence that befell the crowd and the Quidditch teams.

"Hey, Amera…" Harry's voice said to her softly. She felt an icy cold hand on her bare back, and all of a sudden the world slowed down. She realised her mark was still probably on her back, now open to the crowd. She stood up and looked at Harry. Harry had a world of understanding in his eyes, and so did Hermione, Ron, Ginny…. Her eyes fell across the Slytherins, most of them emotionless, except Draco. His eyes were wide and shocked, his skin sickly white. The stadium started filling with whispers, and soon shouting ensued. Dumbledore walked into the stadium, fixed Amera's robes in a flash, and told the crowd to calm down. He sent them all on their way after Tashia's ribs were fixed, with Gryffindors singing Ron's praises for his 8 out of 10 saves. Ron was crowd surfing up ahead, while Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Tashia and Amera were hanging back. Hermione and Ginny were silent, while Harry was asking questions.

"Is this what you and Dumbledore spoke about yesterday? All this time…"

"Come on Harry, later. We promise we'll explain." Tashia said.

Harry nodded and listened to Gryffindor house singing _Weasley Is Our King_.


	33. Playing::Powers

They all sat in the common room, way after the party ended for the Quidditch victory. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny sat on the couch opposite the fireplace, with Amera and Tashia sitting opposite them on the ottomans. They waited for the common room to empty completely, and that was only at eleven. Luckily it was Sunday the next day, so they didn't mind staying up later than usual. They had to know, everything that had been happening with Tashia and Amera. Once the common room was cleared out of all students, Amera stood up and got ready to tell the story, even though she probably didn't know as much as the others.

"Alright, tell me first, what do you guys know about the marks that Tash and I got?" Amera started, trying to test how much they knew.

"Well after the whole Harry and You Know Who story, people started hearing strange stories. Deatheaters were going around, marking children for some unknown reason. But they were all rumours at the time; no one ever thought…that it _actually_ happened." Ron started, Ginny nodded in agreement.

Hermione and Harry didn't know much at all about those times, let alone the smaller side stories that ran along with the downfall of Voldemort.

"Ok well…I don't really know how to explain this. My dad, and Tashia's parents, all died on the same night. We were given these marks, and until a few days ago, we thought they were nothing more than just marks." Amera started, and Tashia carried on.

"Well you see, the marks were actually a curse. Amera and I were supposed to have inherited abilities from our parents, and we think that's why we were picked in the end. The curse blocked our abilities; they stopped them from ever developing."

"Well, my mom figured this all out the other day. The Deatheater that gave us these marks was…Lucius Malfoy. My mother found this out recently, and found out which curse it was. She brewed us a potion that reversed the curse. Well, this is where it becomes fun…" Amera smiled, and showed them over to Tashia.

Tashia hadn't yet had a chance to use her powers, and didn't know what to do. She looked for something or someone to inspire her. She smiled when she set her eyes on Ginny.

"No way!" Ron jumped up, sounding excited and horrified at the same time.

"What's wrong Ron?" Tashia said, imitating Ginny's voice with scary accuracy.

"She's a Metamorpmagus?" Hermione asked, studying the perfect imitation in front of her.

"Oh no, one better." Amera answered, and Hermione frowned.

Tashia responded by looking around again, even picking up a book while being Ginny's doppelganger.

"This looks like fun." She studied the picture closer, and then changed again.

"No way. That's brilliant!" Harry said loudly, as he stared at unicorn in front of him.

"She's a Multimorphmagus? Those are even rarer than…" Hermione sat back, awestruck.

"But why would I want to be anyone else but me?" Tashia said, turning back into herself in a second.

The four of them sat back into the couch, amazed at Tashia's ability. They had even forgotten completely about Amera, before Tashia shifted the focus back to her.

"Now it's Amera's turn."

Everyone refocused onto Amera, who didn't expect the sudden change in interest.

"Oh right. Well I don't think I should demonstrate it. Maybe I should just tell you about it."

"Nonsense. If yours is better than Tashia's, then I think you better show us." Ginny announced, and the rest nodded.

"Oh well if you insist. Here take this Hermione; I won't need this right now." Amera handed Hermione her wand, and Hermione held it, watching Amera carefully.

"Astronomy 101…" Amera looked nervous, and shook her hands out.

She had never done this purposefully before; she wasn't sure how it even worked. She closed her eyes, and thought hard. How would she want it to be?

"Oh…my…Merlin…" Hermione said as slowly as she could.

Amera opened her eyes, and looked at what she had done. It was as she had hoped; the common room was now part of the Milky Way. Stars, planets, asteroids and comets all within reaching distance.

"So what exactly is it that you can do?" Ron asked, leaning back from Saturn that came a little close to his head.

"Dumbledore said something about me being a Primer…"

Hermione's eyes went wider than saucers, and turned her head to Amera.

"A Primer? That means your Dad…was the last recorded one…"

All the stars and planets fell away, dissolving before their eyes. Amera nodded silently, not looking at any of them. Hermione carried on explaining to Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"She can do all magic, any magic. From the most complicated, to the most simple. There's almost no limit to what she can do." Hermione started, and Harry cut in.

"_Almost_ no limit?" He asked.

"Well she can't kill someone, or bring them back to life." Hermione turned to Amera, who was still looking down at the floor.

"And no one knows why. I would still need a wand to kill someone, but no magic can bring someone back to life, even my magic." She explained to the three shocked faces looking at her.

Hermione stood up and ushered everyone to follow her, telling them it was way too late to be messing around in the common room.


End file.
